Football Governance Act 2025
Football Governance Act 2025 (2025 c. 21)
- Football Governance Act 2025 (2025 c. 21)
- Part 1 Purpose, overview and key definitions
- 1 Purpose and overview
- 2 Key definitions
- 3 Meaning of “owner” etc
- 4 Meanings of “officer” and “senior manager” etc
- Part 2 The Independent Football Regulator
- The Independent Football Regulator
- 5 Establishment of the IFR
- 6 The IFR’s objectives
- 7 The IFR’s general duties etc
- 8 The IFR’s regulatory principles
- 9 Transfer schemes
- Reports, statements and guidance
- 10 State of the game report
- 11 Football governance statement
- 12 Guidance published by the IFR
- 13 Guidance published by the Secretary of State
- 14 Annual report
- Part 3 Operating licences
- Operating licences
- 15 Operating licences
- 16 Application for provisional operating licence
- 17 Grant of provisional operating licence
- 18 Grant of full operating licence
- 19 Revocation and cessation of operating licence
- Licence conditions
- 20 Mandatory licence conditions
- 21 Discretionary licence conditions
- 22 Scope of powers to attach or vary discretionary licence conditions
- 23 Procedure for attaching or varying financial discretionary licence conditions
- 24 Commitments in lieu of financial discretionary licence conditions
- 25 Procedure for attaching or varying other discretionary licence conditions
- Part 4 Owners and officers of regulated clubs: suitability etc
- Introductory
- 26 Part 4: overview and interpretation
- Persons who become owners or officers of regulated clubs
- 27 Duties to notify IFR of prospective new owner or officer
- 28 Determination of suitability required for new owner
- 29 Determination of suitability required for new officer
- 30 Becoming an owner or officer without a determination
- 31 Opportunity to make representations about proposed negative determinations
- 32 Determinations under sections 28 and 29: time limits
- Determinations relating to incumbent owners and officers
- 33 Duties to notify IFR of change in circumstances relating to incumbent owner or officer
- 34 Incumbent owners
- 35 Incumbent officers
- 36 Opportunity to make representations about proposed negative findings
- Further provision about determinations
- 37 Matters relevant to determinations
- Disqualification orders and enforcement
- 38 Disqualification orders
- 39 Removal directions: owners
- 40 Removal directions: officers
- 41 Directions relating to unsuitable owners and officers
- 42 Orders and directions effecting alternative officer arrangements
- 43 Ownership removal orders
- 44 Orders under section 43: procedure, costs and liabilities
- Part 5 Duties on clubs and competition organisers etc
- Duties on regulated clubs and formerly regulated clubs etc
- 45 Duty not to operate a team in relation to a prohibited competition
- 46 Duty not to dispose etc of home ground without approval
- 47 Duty not to appoint administrator without approval
- Duties on regulated clubs
- 48 Duty not to relocate without approval
- 49 Duty not to change crest, home shirt colours or name without approval
- 50 Duty to notify of changes in circumstances relevant to the IFR’s functions
- 51 Duty to keep fans informed of insolvency proceedings
- Duties on licensed clubs
- 52 Duty to publish a personnel statement
- 53 Duty to pay a levy
- 54 Section 53: consultation and publication
- Duties on specified competition organisers
- 55 Duties to notify and consult the IFR
- Part 6 Distribution of revenue
- Introduction
- 56 Part 6: overview and interpretation
- Applications for resolution process to be triggered
- 57 Applications for resolution process to be triggered
- 58 Applications under section 57: procedural and other requirements
- 59 Decisions by the IFR on applications under section 57
- Resolution process
- 60 The mediation stage
- 61 Proposal stage
- 62 Distribution orders
- 63 Duration and revocation of distribution orders
- Miscellaneous
- 64 Review of distribution orders, payment of costs, etc
- Part 7 Investigatory powers etc
- Information gathering
- 65 Power to require information
- 66 Reports on clubs by expert reporters
- Appointment of an expert reporter
- Exercise of powers by an expert reporter
- Supplementary
- Investigations into relevant infringements
- 67 Meaning of “relevant infringement”
- 68 Investigations
- 69 Outcomes of investigations
- 70 Commitments in lieu of investigations
- 71 Section 70: supplementary
- 72 Duty to preserve information
- General
- 73 Privileged communications
- 74 Requirement to publish certain notices etc
- Part 8 Enforcement
- Sanctions and offences etc
- 75 Sanctions
- 76 Warning notices
- 77 Decision notices
- 78 Offences
- Destroying or falsifying information
- False or misleading information
- Obstruction
- Penalties
- Interaction with sanctions under section 75
- Urgent directions
- 79 Urgent directions
- Publication
- 80 Requirement to publish certain notices etc
- Part 9 Reviews and appeals
- 81 Reviewable decisions etc
- 82 Request for internal review
- 83 Internal reviews
- 84 Appeals to the Competition Appeal Tribunal
- 85 Proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal
- Part 10 General
- Disclosure of information
- 86 Disclosure of information by the IFR
- 87 Disclosure of information to the IFR etc
- 88 Restrictions on the disclosure of information
- 89 Information offences
- Wrongful disclosure
- Wrongful disclosure of revenue and customs information
- Supplementary
- Rules and regulations
- 90 Rules
- 91 Regulations
- Definitions etc
- 92 Minor definitions etc
- 93 Index of defined terms
- General
- 94 Pre-commencement consultation
- 95 Offences by officers of clubs and bodies corporate
- 96 Review of Act
- 97 Payments into the Consolidated Fund
- 98 Minor and consequential amendments
- 99 Extent
- 100 Commencement
- 101 Short title
- Schedules
- Schedule 1 Meaning of “owner”
- Part 1 Conditions for being an owner
- Conditions for being an owner
- Part 2 Interpretation
- Interpretation
- Joint interests
- Joint arrangements
- Calculating shareholdings
- Voting rights
- Shares or rights held “indirectly”
- Shares held by nominees
- Rights treated as held by person who controls their exercise
- Rights exercisable only in certain circumstances etc
- Rights attached to shares held by way of security
- Significant influence or control over the activities of a club, trust or other body
- Part 3 Power to amend thresholds etc
- Schedule 2 The Independent Football Regulator
- Part 1 Constitution of the IFR
- Constitution of the IFR
- Part 2 The Board
- Membership
- Appointments to the Board
- Declaration and registration of interests of members of the Board
- Tenure and remuneration of non-executive members
- Tenure etc and remuneration of members of the IFR’s staff (including executive members)
- Exercise of functions by the Board
- Committees and procedure of the Board
- Disqualification from acting in relation to certain matters
- Delegation by the Board etc
- Records of proceedings
- Part 3 The Expert Panel
- Number of members
- Appointments to the Expert Panel
- Declaration and registration of interests of members of the Expert Panel
- Tenure and remuneration of Expert Panel members
- Committees and procedure of the Expert Panel
- Disqualification from acting in relation to certain matters
- Records of Expert Panel committee proceedings
- Part 4 Other matters
- Appointment of observer
- Accounts and audit
- Seal and evidence
- Status
- Supplementary powers
- Financial assistance
- Schedule 3 Transfer schemes
- Transfer schemes
- Supplementary
- Interpretation
- Schedule 4 Threshold requirements
- Threshold requirements
- Financial resources
- Non-financial resources
- Fan engagement
- Interpretation
- Schedule 5 Mandatory licence conditions
- Introduction
- Financial plans
- Corporate governance statement
- Fan consultation
- Annual declaration
- Interpretation
- Schedule 6 Commitments in lieu of financial discretionary licence conditions
- Application of Schedule
- Procedure for accepting a commitment or requested variation
- Procedure for releasing a specified competition organiser from a commitment
- Schedule 7 Meaning of “relevant infringement”
- Introduction
- Relevant infringements committed by clubs
- Relevant infringements committed by owners of clubs
- Relevant infringements committed by officers of clubs
- Relevant infringements committed by senior managers of clubs
- Relevant infringements committed by specified competition organisers
- Relevant infringements committed by other persons
- Schedule 8 Investigatory powers
- Application of this Schedule
- Power to ask questions
- Power to enter business premises under a warrant
- Schedule 9 Sanctions
- Part 1 Sanctions relating to information etc
- Introduction
- Censure statements
- Financial penalties
- Part 2 Sanctions relating to relevant infringements
- Censure statements
- Appointment of a skilled person
- Financial penalties
- Injunctive relief
- Suspension or revocation of operating licence
- Part 3 Further provision about financial penalties
- Interpretation
- Penalties imposed by reference to a daily rate
- Revenue and remuneration
- Interest
- Recovery as a civil debt
- Power to amend figures
- Schedule 10 Reviews
- Schedule 11 Index of defined terms
- Schedule 12 Minor and consequential amendments
- Public Records Act 1958
- Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967
- House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975
- Freedom of Information Act 2000
- Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
- Enterprise Act 2002
- Equality Act 2010
- Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules 2015 (S.I. 2015/1648)
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