Football clubs are starting to build out their legal benches April 9, 2026 As they say, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. With the popularity of sports ever-growing, it is no surprise that lawyers are flooding into legal work involving sports. Even the driest M&A deal can be a little more exciting when it involves deals for your favourite [...]
Clubs like Chelsea won’t be able to hide from regulator scrutiny March 22, 2026 English football is a global entertainment and cultural powerhouse, contributing more than £9bn annually to the UK economy. Matches are broadcast to hundreds of millions worldwide, with clubs operating not just as teams but as global brands. But with that status comes increased scrutiny of how clubs are run. Under the new Independent Football Regulator [...]
Football missing bank-grade infrastructure as regulator powers grow March 19, 2026 English football is entering a new era: the Premier League has just handed Chelsea a record fine for hidden payments, while the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is starting to flex its intentions to improve financial soundness and resilience across the pyramid. The latest licensing proposals go further, allowing the regulator to categorise clubs as “high‑risk” [...]
Football regulator told: Give well-run clubs a bigger slice of game’s billions March 17, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator has been urged to mandate a new deal between the Premier League and English Football League that funnels more money to well-run clubs. The IFR this week published a new consultation on the club licensing regime it will implement from next year, which will give it the power to suspend a [...]
High risk club owners facing triple ultimatum from football regulator March 17, 2026 English club owners will be required to inject funds, reduce debt or slash outgoings if they are deemed to be “high-risk” by the Independent Football Regulator. Under new licensing proposals published today, clubs will have to demonstrate that they have the financial resources to withstand major shocks such as relegation or withdrawal of owner funding [...]
Sheffield Wednesday: Football regulator already in talks over new club owners March 16, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator has already begun holding talks over specific prospective buyers of English clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday. The IFR will assume responsibility from the English Football League (EFL) for vetting club owners and directors from May so have asked for any takeovers and board appointments currently under discussion to be flagged by the [...]
Football regulator rubbishes fears red tape will put investors off English clubs February 26, 2026 David Kogan, the chair of the Independent Football Regulator, insists closer scrutiny of clubs’ finances will encourage rather than deter potential investors in the English game. Former media rights consultant Kogan said the IFR’s mission to improve the sustainability of the entire English pyramid would help to make all teams more desirable assets. “The idea [...]
Premier League clubs face unlicensed gambling firms ban February 23, 2026 Premier League clubs could be banned from being sponsored by a plethora of betting firms as the government looks to crack down on illegal gambling. Despite a voluntary move by Premier League clubs to remove gambling and casino sponsors from the front of shirts from next season, those brands can move to sleeves and maintain [...]
Chesterfield FC bids to be pilot for Independent Football Regulator February 19, 2026 League Two club Chesterfield have offered to be a pilot club for the Independent Football Regulator to ensure their financial controls are aligned. It comes as the Spireites released their accounts to shareholders for their first season back in the football league after a six-year absence. Chesterfield cites that the club – sixth in the [...]
Leicester City’s points deduction shows the tail doesn’t always wag the dog February 6, 2026 The Premier League’s victory over Leicester City shows that clubs can’t lose money with impunity, but is it one battle in a much bigger war, writes Aaryaman Banerji. Every ruling tells a story. And so it is that English football has become something of an anthology. This week’s verdict by a three-man independent commission, finding that Leicester City had breached EFL Profit and [...]