Metro Mayor Dan Norris encourages Government to bring in football legislation in his monthly column for The Journal: By the time you read this column Bristol City will have taken on Man City. It’s a proper David and Goliath clash. Fingers crossed for the right result.

But when it comes to the future of football clubs, a ‘fingers crossed’ approach isn’t enough and it really is time for football to be put on a stable footing once and for all - with an independent regulator and a proper say for fans.

The Government has finally published its plans for the beautiful game with the “Football White Paper” and it’s clear to me that a regulator should be brought in as quickly as possible.

In the 15 months everyone has been waiting for the Government to respond to the fan-led review, Derby County nearly went under, Oldham Athletic was relegated, Chelsea changed hands and Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bournemouth were all put up for sale. The Premier League and EFL still haven’t reached a deal on finances. And now a European Super League 2.0 is back on the table.

There are clubs already on the brink, that can’t wait until the 2024/25 season to get a fair settlement.

The failure of the Premier League and EFL to reach an agreement on football finances means lower league clubs will miss out on a huge £365m this season. Without the EFL fair funding deal in place Bristol City will miss out on £13million. And while I’m a City fan, I’m also a West of England Mayor, so I’m all for Rovers not missing out on their £2m either!

Football clubs are at the heart of communities. They’re great sources of pride in our areas. And their impact is felt far beyond the pitch. The Bristol City Community Trust works with local youngsters to reduce anti-social behaviour, encouraging them to work towards referee and coaching courses. The same is true for other sports. I had a fantastic time recently visiting the Bath Rugby Foundation who work with 4,000 children and young people every year. At their Alternative Learning Hub, I met some really inspiring young people who had struggled at school but were now really thriving.

Sport can provide some inspirational role models. Last year, I visited local pupils involved with the charity Show Racism the Red Card. The charity was started by a Newcastle United footballer. One day he was at a petrol station and was confronted by a group of young people shouting racist abuse at him. Then one of the group realised that he was also a famous football player and came over to ask for an autograph! From that a charity was born to take anti-racism educational programmes into schools and workplaces.

A kick about, jog, or shooting hoops is also so important for keeping fit and healthy and tackling obesity, which can take pressure off our under-pressure NHS. And getting out and about is so beneficial for mental health too.

Football matters. Sports matter. So my message to government is no more dithering – bring in the legislation needed now.