Football clubs must do more to get fans involved in their running, according to an expert group set up to look at the issue.

The Scottish Government working group has revealed proposals aimed at increasing supporter involvement in the sport, but stops short of proposing any changes to the law.

The group was chaired by Stephen Morrow, senior lecturer in sport finance at the University of Stirling, and included representatives from the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), Supporters Direct Scotland and sportscotland.

Members want an annual award set up to assess how well clubs are engaging with the community.

The Supporter Involvement Award would recognise success in getting fans involved in governance and look at how financially accountable they are.

While not backing any one ownership structure, the group called for a business, community and football enterprise unit to be set up to give legal and financial advice to fans and club owners "on the process of restructuring a football club to one focused in form and substance on social and community impact".

Clubs should publish the names of directors, their involvement and the reason for their appointment to the board while all SPFL clubs should declare the identity of the ultimate beneficial owner.

The group called for the SFA to consider "as a matter of priority" how fans can be represented in its governance, as well as for further training for supporters representatives and guidelines for community clubs on restructuring options.

Mr Morrow said: "It is clear that Scottish football is in a period of transition. For example, after a period of great instability it is exciting to see one of our biggest clubs, Hearts, embarking on a journey towards supporter ownership.

"At the same time, another of our major clubs, Hibernian, is actively considering radical changes to its ownership and governance; proposals which are particularly interesting given that they are not emerging in response to financial crisis.

"One of the areas the working group focused on was how to reduce barriers to supporter ownership in circumstances where there is demand for this ownership structure.

"But it is important to stress that our group did not take the view that there was an ideal ownership model for Scottish football clubs.

"Our emphasis was on how best to encourage broader involvement of supporters, irrespective of the particular ownership structure adopted by a club."

Sport minister Jamie Hepburn said: "Supporters should be at the heart of their football clubs but too often they have felt marginalised and excluded.

"The group has come up with some interesting recommendations and it is now dependent on everyone involved, including the Scottish Government, to make these work.

"These are challenging times for Scotland's football clubs. The Scottish Government agrees with the working group that a legislative approach to addressing many of these issues is simply too prescriptive and not desirable or necessary at this stage."

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said: "The Scottish FA acknowledges the need for greater supporter involvement in the national game.

"It is also supportive of the need to enhance fan engagement, not just in-stadia but expanding our digital provision."

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, said: "Supporters are the lifeblood of the game in Scotland. We welcome initiatives that are designed to increase fans' engagement with their clubs."

Andrew Jenkin, acting head of Supporters Direct Scotland, added: "We believe supporters are integral to the game of football and should continue to be further involved in the decision-making with the group offering us the opportunity to shape future recommendations."