Football Governance Act 2025

1. Introductory Text

2. Part 1 Purpose, overview and key definitions

   1. 1. Purpose and overview

   2. 2. Key definitions

   3. 3. Meaning of “owner” etc

   4. 4. Meanings of “officer” and “senior manager” etc

3. Part 2 The Independent Football Regulator

   1. The Independent Football Regulator

      1. 5. Establishment of the IFR

      2. 6. The IFR’s objectives

      3. 7. The IFR’s general duties etc

      4. 8. The IFR’s regulatory principles

      5. 9. Transfer schemes

   2. Reports, statements and guidance

      1. 10. State of the game report

      2. 11. Football governance statement

      3. 12. Guidance published by the IFR

      4. 13. Guidance published by the Secretary of State

      5. 14. Annual report

4. Part 3 Operating licences

   1. Operating licences

      1. 15. Operating licences

      2. 16. Application for provisional operating licence

      3. 17. Grant of provisional operating licence

      4. 18. Grant of full operating licence

      5. 19. Revocation and cessation of operating licence

   2. Licence conditions

      1. 20. Mandatory licence conditions

      2. 21. Discretionary licence conditions

      3. 22. Scope of powers to attach or vary discretionary licence conditions

      4. 23. Procedure for attaching or varying financial discretionary licence conditions

      5. 24. Commitments in lieu of financial discretionary licence conditions

      6. 25. Procedure for attaching or varying other discretionary licence conditions

5. Part 4 Owners and officers of regulated clubs: suitability etc

   1. Introductory

      1. 26. Part 4: overview and interpretation

   2. Persons who become owners or officers of regulated clubs

      1. 27. Duties to notify IFR of prospective new owner or officer

      2. 28. Determination of suitability required for new owner

      3. 29. Determination of suitability required for new officer

      4. 30. Becoming an owner or officer without a determination

      5. 31. Opportunity to make representations about proposed negative determinations

      6. 32. Determinations under sections 28 and 29: time limits

   3. Determinations relating to incumbent owners and officers

      1. 33. Duties to notify IFR of change in circumstances relating to incumbent owner or officer

      2. 34. Incumbent owners

      3. 35. Incumbent officers

      4. 36. Opportunity to make representations about proposed negative findings

   4. Further provision about determinations

      1. 37. Matters relevant to determinations

   5. Disqualification orders and enforcement

      1. 38. Disqualification orders

      2. 39. Removal directions: owners

      3. 40. Removal directions: officers

      4. 41. Directions relating to unsuitable owners and officers

      5. 42. Orders and directions effecting alternative officer arrangements

      6. 43. Ownership removal orders

      7. 44. Orders under section 43: procedure, costs and liabilities

6. Part 5 Duties on clubs and competition organisers etc

   1. Duties on regulated clubs and formerly regulated clubs etc

      1. 45. Duty not to operate a team in relation to a prohibited competition

      2. 46. Duty not to dispose etc of home ground without approval

      3. 47. Duty not to appoint administrator without approval

   2. Duties on regulated clubs

      1. 48. Duty not to relocate without approval

      2. 49. Duty not to change crest, home shirt colours or name without approval

      3. 50. Duty to notify of changes in circumstances relevant to the IFR’s functions

      4. 51. Duty to keep fans informed of insolvency proceedings

   3. Duties on licensed clubs

      1. 52. Duty to publish a personnel statement

      2. 53. Duty to pay a levy

      3. 54. Section 53: consultation and publication

   4. Duties on specified competition organisers

      1. 55. Duties to notify and consult the IFR

7. Part 6 Distribution of revenue

   1. Introduction

      1. 56. Part 6: overview and interpretation

   2. Applications for resolution process to be triggered

      1. 57. Applications for resolution process to be triggered

      2. 58. Applications under section 57: procedural and other requirements

      3. 59. Decisions by the IFR on applications under section 57

   3. Resolution process

      1. 60. The mediation stage

      2. 61. Proposal stage

      3. 62. Distribution orders

      4. 63. Duration and revocation of distribution orders

   4. Miscellaneous

      1. 64. Review of distribution orders, payment of costs, etc

8. Part 7 Investigatory powers etc

   1. Information gathering

      1. 65. Power to require information

      2. 66. Reports on clubs by expert reporters

   2. Investigations into relevant infringements

      1. 67. Meaning of “relevant infringement”

      2. 68. Investigations

      3. 69. Outcomes of investigations

      4. 70. Commitments in lieu of investigations

      5. 71. Section 70: supplementary

      6. 72. Duty to preserve information

   3. General

      1. 73. Privileged communications

      2. 74. Requirement to publish certain notices etc

9. Part 8 Enforcement

   1. Sanctions and offences etc

      1. 75. Sanctions

      2. 76. Warning notices

      3. 77. Decision notices

      4. 78. Offences

   2. Urgent directions

      1. 79. Urgent directions

   3. Publication

      1. 80. Requirement to publish certain notices etc

10. Part 9 Reviews and appeals

    1. 81. Reviewable decisions etc

    2. 82. Request for internal review

    3. 83. Internal reviews

    4. 84. Appeals to the Competition Appeal Tribunal

    5. 85. Proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal

11. Part 10 General

    1. Disclosure of information

       1. 86. Disclosure of information by the IFR

       2. 87. Disclosure of information to the IFR etc

       3. 88. Restrictions on the disclosure of information

       4. 89. Information offences

    2. Rules and regulations

       1. 90. Rules

       2. 91. Regulations

    3. Definitions etc

       1. 92. Minor definitions etc

       2. 93. Index of defined terms

    4. General

       1. 94. Pre-commencement consultation

       2. 95. Offences by officers of clubs and bodies corporate

       3. 96. Review of Act

       4. 97. Payments into the Consolidated Fund

       5. 98. Minor and consequential amendments

       6. 99. Extent

       7. 100. Commencement

       8. 101. Short title

12. Schedules

    1. Schedule 1

       Meaning of “owner”

       1. Part 1 Conditions for being an owner

          1. 1. Conditions for being an owner

          2. 2. (1) Condition 1 is that the person has the right...

       2. Part 2 Interpretation

          1. 3. Interpretation

          2. 4. Joint interests

          3. 5. Joint arrangements

          4. 6. Calculating shareholdings

          5. 7. Voting rights

          6. 8. In applying this Schedule, voting rights in a person held...

          7. 9. Shares or rights held “indirectly”

          8. 10. Shares held by nominees

          9. 11. Rights treated as held by person who controls their exercise

          10. 12. (1) For the purposes of this Schedule “arrangement” includes—

          11. 13. Rights exercisable only in certain circumstances etc

          12. 14. Rights attached to shares held by way of security

          13. 15. Significant influence or control over the activities of a club, trust or other body

       3. Part 3 Power to amend thresholds etc

          1. 16. (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations amend this...

    2. Schedule 2

       The Independent Football Regulator

       1. Part 1 Constitution of the IFR

          1. 1. Constitution of the IFR

       2. Part 2 The Board

          1. 2. Membership

          2. 3. Appointments to the Board

          3. 4. (1) The chair may appoint any other non-executive member to...

          4. 5. (1) The Chief Executive Officer is to be appointed by...

          5. 6. (1) A person (“A”) may not be appointed as a...

          6. 7. Declaration and registration of interests of members of the Board

          7. 8. Tenure and remuneration of non-executive members

          8. 9. A non-executive member of the Board may be removed from...

          9. 10. (1) The IFR must pay its non-executive members such remuneration...

          10. 11. Tenure etc and remuneration of members of the IFR’s staff (including executive members)

          11. 12. (1) The terms on which executive members are, by virtue...

          12. 13. (1) A person may resign as an executive member by...

          13. 14. Exercise of functions by the Board

          14. 15. Committees and procedure of the Board

          15. 16. (1) The Board may determine its own procedure and the...

          16. 17. Disqualification from acting in relation to certain matters

          17. 18. Delegation by the Board etc

          18. 19. (1) Subject to paragraph 20, a committee established by the...

          19. 20. (1) The following functions of the Board may be delegated...

          20. 21. The delegation of a function by the Board under paragraph...

          21. 22. Records of proceedings

       3. Part 3 The Expert Panel

          1. 23. Number of members

          2. 24. Appointments to the Expert Panel

          3. 25. Declaration and registration of interests of members of the Expert Panel

          4. 26. Tenure and remuneration of Expert Panel members

          5. 27. Committees and procedure of the Expert Panel

          6. 28. (1) The Chief Executive Officer must establish committees of the...

          7. 29. (1) The Expert Panel may determine its own procedure and...

          8. 30. (1) In exercising its functions, the Expert Panel must act...

          9. 31. Disqualification from acting in relation to certain matters

          10. 32. Records of Expert Panel committee proceedings

       4. Part 4 Other matters

          1. 33. Appointment of observer

          2. 34. Accounts and audit

          3. 35. Seal and evidence

          4. 36. Status

          5. 37. Supplementary powers

          6. 38. Financial assistance

    3. Schedule 3

       Transfer schemes

       1. 1. Transfer schemes

       2. 2. Supplementary

       3. 3. Interpretation

    4. Schedule 4

       Threshold requirements

       1. 1. Threshold requirements

       2. 2. Financial resources

       3. 3. Non-financial resources

       4. 4. Fan engagement

       5. 5. Interpretation

    5. Schedule 5

       Mandatory licence conditions

       1. 1. Introduction

       2. 2. Financial plans

       3. 3. For the purposes of paragraph 2(a), the IFR—

       4. 4. Corporate governance statement

       5. 5. The condition must require— (a) the corporate governance statement to...

       6. 6. (1) The IFR must publish the latest corporate governance statement...

       7. 7. (1) The IFR must prepare and publish a code of...

       8. 8. Fan consultation

       9. 9. (1) The condition may require the consultation to take place...

       10. 10. Annual declaration

       11. 11. The condition must require the declaration to contain—

       12. 12. Interpretation

    6. Schedule 6

       Commitments in lieu of financial discretionary licence conditions

       1. 1. Application of Schedule

       2. 2. Procedure for accepting a commitment or requested variation

       3. 3. The IFR must, as soon as reasonably practicable after deciding...

       4. 4. Paragraph 2 does not apply in relation to a proposed...

       5. 5. Procedure for releasing a specified competition organiser from a commitment

       6. 6. The IFR must, as soon as reasonably practicable after deciding...

    7. Schedule 7

       Meaning of “relevant infringement”

       1. 1. Introduction

       2. 2. Relevant infringements committed by clubs

       3. 3. Relevant infringements committed by owners of clubs

       4. 4. Relevant infringements committed by officers of clubs

       5. 5. Relevant infringements committed by senior managers of clubs

       6. 6. Relevant infringements committed by specified competition organisers

       7. 7. Relevant infringements committed by other persons

    8. Schedule 8

       Investigatory powers

       1. 1. Application of this Schedule

       2. 2. Power to ask questions

       3. 3. Power to enter business premises under a warrant

       4. 4. (1) A warrant under paragraph 3 must describe—

    9. Schedule 9

       Sanctions

       1. Part 1 Sanctions relating to information etc

          1. 1. Introduction

          2. 2. Censure statements

          3. 3. Financial penalties

       2. Part 2 Sanctions relating to relevant infringements

          1. 4. Censure statements

          2. 5. Appointment of a skilled person

          3. 6. Financial penalties

          4. 7. Injunctive relief

          5. 8. Suspension or revocation of operating licence

          6. 9. (1) The IFR may— (a) suspend the club’s operating licence,...

       3. Part 3 Further provision about financial penalties

          1. 10. Interpretation

          2. 11. Penalties imposed by reference to a daily rate

          3. 12. Revenue and remuneration

          4. 13. Interest

          5. 14. Recovery as a civil debt

          6. 15. Power to amend figures

    10. Schedule 10

        Reviews

    11. Schedule 11

        Index of defined terms

    12. Schedule 12

        Minor and consequential amendments

        1. 1. Public Records Act 1958

        2. 2. Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967

        3. 3. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975

        4. 4. Freedom of Information Act 2000

        5. 5. Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001

        6. 6. Enterprise Act 2002

        7. 7. (1) Paragraph 1A (enforcement of injunctions in England and Wales...

        8. 8. (1) Paragraph 10A (Tribunal rules: institution of proceedings) is amended...

        9. 9. Equality Act 2010

        10. 10. Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules 2015 (S.I. 2015/1648)