Football Governance Bill: supporting documents

The Football Governance Bill will establish an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) with the primary purpose of ensuring that English football is sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs service.

The Bill delivers on the government’s longstanding commitment to support, promote and protect the national game. In 2019, the government committed to a Fan-Led Review of Football Governance in its manifesto. This was carried out in 2021 by Tracey Crouch CBE MP, and recommended that an independent regulator be established on a statutory footing.

In February 2023 the government published its plans for reform in the white paper ‘A sustainable future: reforming club football governance’. There was a targeted consultation on these proposals, which invited comments from a range of stakeholders, including all 116 football clubs in the top 5 tiers of English football, the relevant leagues and existing footballing bodies, fan groups, legal experts, industry experts, leading academics, and civil society organisations.

The government’s response to the consultation was published on 7 September 2023.

The Impact Assessment has been reviewed by the Regulatory Policy Committee and assessed as fit for purpose.