Independent Football
Regulator
“Proposals will be published to establish an independent
regulator of English football.”
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● Football is a defining part of our identity and
central to British life, but its governance has not kept pace
with development and reform is needed. That is why the
Government is committed to reforming football governance to
enable a long-term, sustainable future for the game.
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● We are backing fans and supporting the game by
committing to:
o establishing a new independent regulator of professional
football in England to ensure the long-term financial
sustainability of the game for the benefit of fans and local
communities;
o allowing the regulator to oversee a new licensing regime for
professional football in England, to include governance at
football clubs and financial regulation of the game;
o ensuring owners and stewards are “fit and proper” people to
manage football clubs prudently and sustainably; and
o engaging fans when football clubs make important changes to a
club’s heritage such as the name of the team, club logo or team
strip.
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● Our reforms will support the long-term future of the
game, ensuring football clubs are run in a more financially
sustainable way through new independent regulation, meaning
fewer clubs in distress.
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● We will publish a White Paper in the summer, which
will set out further details.
Key facts
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● The manifesto committed to review football governance
to prevent another collapse like Bury FC in 2019. This review
was taken forward by , who reported in
November 2021. The Government’s response was published on 25
April 2022 and endorsed the ten strategic recommendations.
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● Championship clubs are spending on average 120 per
cent of turnover on wages and 14 out 20 Premier League clubs
are above UEFA’s recommended limit of 70 per cent. Over the
last ten years Championship clubs have lost over £2.5
billion.
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● The pandemic has caused English football clubs to
lose over £2 billion and overall debt in the game is now over
£5.3 billion.
