Football Governance Act 2025

66 Reports on clubs by expert reporters

Appointment of an expert reporter

(1) The IFR may appoint a person (“an expert reporter”) to prepare, and provide the IFR with, a report in relation to a regulated club on any matter where the IFR considers that a report on the matter is necessary for the purpose of exercising the IFR’s functions under this Act.

(2) Where the IFR appoints an expert reporter the IFR must give the club concerned a notice—

(a) stating the name of the expert reporter;

(b) giving details of the matter on which the report is to be prepared;

(c) including information about the possible consequences under Part 8 of failing to co-operate with or assist, or otherwise obstructing, the expert reporter in the preparation of the report.

(3) An expert reporter must be a person appearing to the IFR—

(a) to have the skills necessary to provide a report on the matter concerned, and

(b) not to have a conflict of interest.

Exercise of powers by an expert reporter

(4) An expert reporter may by notice require a person to give specified information to the expert reporter where the expert reporter considers that the information is necessary for the purpose of preparing a report under this section.

(5) A notice under subsection (4) must—

(a) explain why the expert reporter requires the information;

(b) state the time by which, or the frequency with which, the specified information must be given to the expert reporter;

(c) state the place at which, or the manner (which may be remote) in which, the information must be given to the expert reporter;

(d) state the form in which the information must be given to the expert reporter;

(e) include information about the possible consequences under Part 8 of—

(i) not complying with the notice, or

(ii) failing to co-operate with or assist, or otherwise obstructing, the expert reporter in the preparation of the report.

(6) The power under subsection (4) to require a person to give information to an expert reporter includes the power to—

(a) take copies of or extracts from the information given to the expert reporter;

(b) require the person to obtain or generate information for the purpose of giving that information to the expert reporter;

(c) require the person to collect or retain information that they would not otherwise collect or retain for the purpose of giving that information to the expert reporter;

(d) if any specified information is not given to the expert reporter, require the other person to state, to the best of their knowledge and belief, both where that information is and why it has not been given to the expert reporter.

Supplementary

(7) A person to whom an expert reporter gives a notice under subsection (4) and the club to which a report under this section relates—

(a) must co-operate with the expert reporter in connection with the preparation of the report, and

(b) must give the expert reporter such reasonable assistance as the expert reporter requests (including access to business premises, equipment, services, information and individuals) in connection with the preparation of the report.

(8) In this section “specified” means—

(a) specified or described in the notice under subsection (4), or

(b) falling within a category which is specified or described in the notice.

(9) The IFR may by rules make provision for—

(a) costs incurred by it in relation to the appointment of a person under this section, or

(b) expenses incurred by a person appointed under this section in connection with the preparation of a report under this section,

to be payable by the club concerned.