Government must cut red tape to fuel football stadium development Sport Business Investing in a football stadium can be the difference between sinking and swimming and the government must play a role, writes Joseph Smith. It is fair to say that the Independent Football Regulator’s draft State of the Game report provides the most comprehensive analysis of English football’s finances to date. Published last week and open [...]
English Football League ‘concerned and disappointed’ at PFA legal challenge Sport Business The English Football League (EFL) has criticised player union the PFA for taking legal action to block new cost controls for clubs in League One. The PFA is opposing the Squad Cost Management Protocol on the basis it could damage players’ earning potential, having previously defeated a previous rule change in 2021 on the basis [...]
Football may not come home but US investors will still cash cheques here Sport Business The US continues to invest in the English football pyramid. Matt Bonass gives his best shot at explaining why Football attracting money is not novel, but what has changed is the type of money, where the money has come from and the thinking behind it all. In a previous era club ownership was a passion [...]
Uefa probes Brighton and Hearts connection under Tony Bloom ownership May 20, 2026 Uefa is scrutinising the relationship between Hearts and Brighton and Hove Albion, with both clubs connected to Tony Bloom on course to qualify for Europe. Brighton owner Bloom holds a 29 per cent stake in Hearts – deliberately below the 30 per cent threshold Uefa prohibits owners from holding in more than one club in [...]
Championship clubs up promotion gamble by adopting new financial rules May 15, 2026 Loss-making Championship clubs have raised the stakes in their £1.2bn gamble to reach the Premier League by voting in new financial rules. Teams in the second tier have agreed to adopt a framework based on squad cost ratio (SCR), similar to those set to be implemented in the top division, from next season. The new [...]
AFC Wimbledon seeking fan investment at £26.8m valuation April 8, 2026 League One side AFC Wimbledon is seeking further investment at a valuation of £26.8m through crowdfunding. The Dons, who sit 16th in the third tier of English football, have registered themselves on investment platform Republic, offering up a maximum allocation of £68,125. The site states that this is an “opportunity to invest in AFCW PLC [...]
Premier League’s smallest stadium gets approval to begin £90m rebuild January 22, 2026 AFC Bournemouth have been granted planning permission for the first phase of a £90m redevelopment that will increase capacity at the Vitality Stadium to more than 20,000. The club, whose 11,000-seat ground is the smallest in the Premier League, have been given the green light for “enabling works”, the first of three phases of improvements [...]
Manchester City v Premier League battle set to drag on beyond season December 17, 2025 Manchester City will face another lengthy wait to discover their punishment if they are found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, as the much-anticipated verdict of the independent commission will be delivered in stages. The initial judgement of the commission, which finished hearing the case 13 months ago, will only deal with matters [...]
Lincoln City to land six-figure windfall from Chelsea cup tie September 22, 2025 League One high-flyers Lincoln City are set for a six-figure windfall from their Carabao Cup third-round tie with Chelsea on Tuesday. The biggest match at the LNER Stadium for five years – since Liverpool visited, and won 7-2, in September 2020 – is expected to boost the club’s coffers by around £250,000. On top of [...]
Brighton and Hove Albion only Premier League club ready for regulator September 10, 2025 Brighton and Hove Albion are the only club in the Premier League or Championship rated “regulator ready” by a damning new study. The research by lobby group Fair Game paints a dire picture of English football’s finances, suggesting almost half of clubs in the top four leagues are “running on empty”. It comes ahead of [...]