David Kogan: Media grandee set to chair football regulator April 25, 2025 Media heavyweight David Kogan OBE, a former advisor to the Premier League with links to the Labour party, has been named the government’s preferred candidate to chair the independent football regulator. Kogan, 67, has seen off competition from serial football club executive Christian Purslow, equality campaigner Sanjay Bhandari and former parliamentary expenses watchdog Professor Sir [...]
How League One Lincoln City are helping to shape the football regulator April 14, 2025 Consultation has been one of the hot topics surrounding the introduction of the independent football regulator, although one club at least is trying to ensure that it is not a one-way street. While much of the discussion has been on what the watchdog will demand of clubs in return for being granted a licence, Lincoln [...]
Premier League and EFL kick-start talks over billion-pound deal April 4, 2025 The Premier League and EFL are back in ongoing discussions over a new multi-billion-pound financial redistribution deal after more than a year of deadlock. Executives from the top flight and the English Football League, which operates the three divisions directly below, have met twice in the last few weeks and have another summit scheduled for [...]
ECB facing pressure to drop prices in Hundred franchise sale April 2, 2025 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could be asked to accept less than the £520m offered by new investors for 49 per cent of the eight Hundred franchises if they refuse to hand over control of the competition’s next television contract, which will begin in 2028. The ECB wants to continue its successful policy [...]
Football regulator amendments: No sunset clause but concessions to critics March 28, 2025 The powers to be afforded to the independent football regulator have been clarified after the government published its list of amendments to the Football Governance Bill. Calls for a sunset clause from some Tory peers have been rejected, although the Secretary of State will be required to formally review how well the act is working [...]
No10: Government ‘absolutely committed’ to independent football regulator March 17, 2025 The government has insisted it remains “absolutely committed” to the incoming football regulator despite chancellor Rachel Reeves’ desire to slash bureaucratic bodies. Reports suggested that plans to get rid of a number of quangos, as well as Reeves’ opinion that regulators are “too slow to get things done”, could have resulted in the Football Governance [...]
EFL writes to Badenoch to question Tory U-turn on football regulator March 10, 2025 The EFL has written to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to express surprise at the party’s U-turn on support for an independent football regulator. The Football Governance Bill was first introduced by the last Tory government but has faced growing opposition from Conservative peers in the House of Lords. Badenoch, meanwhile, has described the proposed football [...]
Football Regulator: Reform UK demand government ‘leave football alone’ March 7, 2025 Reform UK has slammed plans for a football regulator interfering in the Premier League, insisting the government should “leave it alone”. A Westminster Hall debate this week drew sarcastic digs from both sports minister Stephanie Peacock and her shadow counterpart Louie French on the football regulator, which has recently concluded a series of debates in [...]
Ed Warner: My memo to sport’s blazers? Stay out of the way March 6, 2025 Sport governing bodies should focus on organisational framework but professional activity can largely be left to the free market, argues Ed Warner. Who doesn’t love a badge, especially if having the right to flaunt it conveys status? Witness the urge to wear replica kit, even though the status this gives is simply identification as a [...]
Baroness Brady: Football regulator a solution in search of a problem February 19, 2025 West Ham United vice-chair Baroness Brady has said the incoming football regulator is a “solution in search of a problem”, adding that doing anything that changes the value of the Premier League broadcast deal would be “reckless and wrong”. The Football Governance Bill has been reintroduced into the House of Lords by the government having [...]