English Football Governance: The New Regulatory Framework

Send us a topic important to you.Today, we're looking at the football governance bill. It's already been through the House of Lords, and now it's landed in the House of Commons.This new law aims to tackle long-standing issues in English football, such as club finances, ownership, and giving fans a greater voice – issues brought into sharp focus by the 2021 fan-led review, the pandemic's impact on club finances, and the European Super League proposal.In this episode, you will learn about:The bill's main aims: promoting financial sustainability, protecting club heritage, and ensuring genuine fan engagement.The creation and role of the independent football regulator (IFR) and its licensing system for clubs in the top five tiers.The IFR's powers regarding financial soundness, systemic resilience, and safeguarding heritage assets like badges and stadiums.A new, more robust suitable owners and officers test administered by the IFR.Clubs' duties regarding heritage matters, stadium changes, and consulting fans on key identity elements.How the bill addresses the contentious issue of revenue distribution between leagues, including a potential backstop for the IFR to intervene.The IFR's enforcement powers, including investigations, financial penalties, and even potential criminal offenses in serious cases.The appeals process for challenging IFR decisions.View the Extended Shownotes on Substack.Source: Football Governance Bill [HL] 2024-25Research BriefingPublished Wednesday, 23 April, 2025Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.ukSubscribe to our Substack Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!Email us: [email protected] us on YouTube,  X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! @benchreportUKSupport us for bonus and extended episodes + more.No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.  Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....