Mansfield Town in bottom half of the table in football fairness index

Fair Game – a campaign group working to improve how football is governed – said the sport is "far from perfect" but sees the potential for improvement with the likely introduction of a football regulator.

The organisation has put together a fairness index for football, drawing on over 220 data sources covering club finances, commitment to equality, fan engagement, and governance in England's top leagues.

Mansfield Town scored 25.6 out of 100 on the index – putting it 20th of all clubs in League 2 last season.

The club was ranked 107th across all the clubs in the top seven divisions in English football.

In League 2, AFC Wimbledon topped the rankings, with Forest Green Rovers taking the second spot and Milton Keynes Dons in third.

At the other end of the table, Crawley Town were bottom – followed by Colchester United and Notts County.

Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, said: "Football is far from perfect but with the likelihood of an incoming football regulator there is a real chance to change it for the better.

"To deliver real and meaningful change we need to understand the problems."

He added: "This year, several overall themes have emerged: financial sustainability goes hand in hand with good governance and fan engagement.

"Football's financial flow is undermining sustainability, and equality and ethical standards are on average treated as lip service.

"In short, football in England needs a truly independent regulator that can oversee good governance, reshape football's financial flow, and ensure issues around equality and ethics get the support and respect they deserve."

Greg Campbell, partner at Campbell Tickell and leading expert on regulative practices in the UK, said: "From my experience working in different sectors, the reality is that, however well-intentioned, self-regulation such as we have in football now, doesn't work.

"So, as we move towards the establishment of an independent regulator, there's clear learning from the Index for that regulator, once established, to examine.

"We look forward to seeing the new Football Governance Bill, which will hopefully tighten up on some of the areas in which the earlier version of the bill introduced before the General Election, was light."

The DCMS said it will establish a new Independent Football Regulator to tackle governance problems, empower fans, and protect the sustainability of the sport for local communities.