The third session of the MESGO, focusing on governance and regulation, took place from the 10th to the 14th of January in London, organised by Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, Birkbeck College, University of London.
The subject matter during this week-long module included corporate governance, regulation of sport competitions (with illustrations on football, rugby union and cricket), club licensing and financial fairplay and the regulation of the sport labour market. Moreover, a special focus on the regulatory failure as a factor in the banking crisis was made as a perspective of another sector with lessons for the organisation of governance in the sport system.
Daily gatherings occurred at Wembley, Twickenham and Emirates Stadiums and in the premises of Birkbeck College, University of London. Amongst the speakers were representatives from the English Premier League and the Football Assocation (FA) who explained the basic principles applied by these organisations in their co-regulation of English football; French Rugby Union league vice-president Patrick WOLFF, who explained the regulation of French rugby union, and Arsenal FC General Manager Arsène Wenger, who presented a club perspective on regulatory tools.
In terms of entertainment, the MESGO participants attended the Carling Cup semi final football game between West Ham and Birmingham (2-1).
The next session will take place in Brussels early March on the legal framework of the European sport governance.