Football Governance Act 2025

1 Purpose and overview

(1) The purpose of this Act is to protect and promote the sustainability of English football.

(2) For that purpose—

(a) Part 2 establishes the Independent Football Regulator (referred to in this Act as “the IFR”) and makes provision about the exercise of its functions;

(b) Part 3 makes provision for the IFR to grant operating licences to football clubs;

(c) Part 4 provides for the IFR to make determinations about whether persons are suitable to be owners or officers of football clubs;

(d) Part 5 imposes various duties on football clubs, the owners and officers of football clubs and the organisers of football competitions;

(e) Part 6 provides a mechanism whereby the IFR can make an order requiring the organiser of a football competition to distribute revenue received by that organiser;

(f) Parts 7 and 8 make provision about the investigation and enforcement powers of the IFR;

(g) Part 9 makes provision about reviews of and appeals from decisions of the IFR;

(h) Part 10 makes general provision, including about the disclosure of information by and to the IFR.

(3) For the purposes of this section, English football is sustainable if it—

(a) continues to serve the interests of fans of regulated clubs, and

(b) continues to contribute to the economic or social well-being of the local communities with which regulated clubs are associated.

(4) For the meanings of “English football”, “regulated club” and for other key terms used in this Act, see section 2.