Andy Burnham is only into his second day as Prime Minister, but already the football world is asking what his premiership will mean for sport. The Everton season-ticket holder and avid sports fan has backed several initiatives throughout his political career, and consistency appears guaranteed because Lisa Nandy will stay as the secretary of state for the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS). The pair already have a close working relationship: Nandy is the MP for Wigan, which sits within the area of the Greater Manchester mayor - a post Burnham held for the past nine years.
Burnham, 56, held Nandy's position at the DCMS for 18 months from January 2008. After being elected as the new MP for Makerfield last month, he gave his speech outside Edge Green Street - home to Ashton Town of the North West Counties League. Now, his vision for sport is coming into focus.
“Andy Burnham's second day as PM raises questions about northern Olympics, Old Trafford, and football regulation.”
A northern Olympics bid appears high on his agenda. In February, Burnham said it would be a "defining moment for the north" and "a powerful opportunity to unlock future growth". London mayor Sadiq Khan is eyeing up another bid for the 2040 event, but Burnham has already backed an Olympic Games for the north, fitting his vision of taking attention away from the capital.
The 2035 Women's World Cup will be hosted by England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and Burnham has backed the regeneration of Old Trafford with a new ground for Manchester United. Plans are set to be signed off by Trafford Council on 21 July, with the intention that the 100,000 venue would be ready for the Women's World Cup. Might a men's World Cup bid get government backing too? Burnham has also supported shifting FA Cup semi-finals away from Wembley, having been exclusively hosted at the stadium since 2008.
Burnham has not shied away from clashing with the Premier League and football's authorities. In 2023, he wrote to the Premier League insisting that Everton's 10-point penalty for breaching profit and sustainability rules should be declared "null and void". There should be no concerns about the future of the independent football regulator, set up by Nandy and whose powers are just starting to kick in. In 2020, Burnham was the co-author of a manifesto for change called 'Saving Our Beautiful Game', which laid out recommendations including "an effective and independent body to oversee the…" Whether Burnham's northern vision will reshape English football's landscape remains to be seen.