Morning, Wednesday, 18th November 2026
Online
This conference will consider next steps for football governance in England as the new statutory regime moves from legislation towards implementation. Areas for discussion include the operation and scope of the Independent Football Regulator, investigation and enforcement powers, club licensing and financial sustainability, Owners, Directors and Senior Executives tests, and wider questions around regulatory cooperation, supporter engagement and club heritage.
Implementation & regulator powers
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine priorities as the regime established by the Football Governance Act 2025 is implemented, including the application of the IFR’s powers in terms of effectiveness, proportionality and workability for clubs across the football pyramid.
Delegates will consider club and league preparedness for investigation, enforcement and sanctions powers, alongside practical issues arising from the ODSE suitability regime.
Further discussion will examine the regulator’s operating costs, arrangements for the statutory club levy from the 2027-28 season, and questions about the future scope of the IFR’s remit.
Licensing & financial sustainability
Implementation of the new mandatory club licensing framework published by the IFR in July 2026 will be considered, including the conditions that clubs need to meet on financial planning, corporate governance, supporter engagement and club heritage. We expect discussion to assess the relationship between provisional licensing, the Football Club Corporate Governance Code and new financial plan reporting requirements, as well as how licensing terms can reflect stakeholder priorities while being applied with consistency, transparency and proportionality across the pyramid.
Attendees will also consider what the framework might mean for wider governance reform, existing league rules and club governance arrangements, including the practical support, evidence and accountability needed during the transition.
State of the Game report & wider regulation
Further discussion will consider the State of the Game report process, with the draft expected later this year, and how emerging evidence on identifying financial pressures, governance weaknesses and structural risks across English football should inform the IFR’s approach to risk, supervision and future policy development. Questions around revenue distribution, ownership models, cost pressures and resilience will also be examined.
The agenda will assess wider regulatory cooperation following the IFR’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Financial Conduct Authority in February 2026, including how responsibilities should be coordinated where football governance intersects with sponsorship, advertising standards and financial products marketed to supporters.
Overview of areas for discussion
- IFR rollout:
- implementation of IFR powers - final rules and formal framework commencement from July 2026 - new duties on clubs and expectations for club and league preparedness
- IFR capacity, staffing and operating costs - preparation for statutory club levy arrangements from the 2027-28 season
- future scope of IFR remit
- Investigations, enforcement & sanctions:
- IFR’s finalised guidance - preparing internal processes for information-gathering, investigation, enforcement and sanctions
- thresholds for enforcement - adequacy, consistency and proportionality of penalties
- implications for club governance processes - evidence, record-keeping, accountability and engagement with the regulator
- ODSE suitability regime:
- rollout since May 2026 - safeguards against illicit finance and supporting sound management
- priorities for good character, financial management and due diligence investigations - collaboration with wider agencies and football bodies
- principles-based ‘fit and proper person’ assessments - thresholds for potential criminal disqualification and treatment of complex ownership structures
- New club licensing regime:
- responses to the licensing framework - financial responsibility of clubs - embedding the new Football Club Corporate Governance Code
- next steps for provisional licensing - application window opening in November 2026 ahead of the 2027-28 season
- expected consultation on the financial plan reporting template - reporting burdens, consistency and use of evidence
- wider governance reform - supporter engagement, club heritage and interaction with existing league rules
- State of the Game Report:
- establishing key financial pressures, governance gaps and structural risks across English football
- effects of the broadcast landscape, wages, parachute payments and academy development on financial sustainability
- economics of the football market - incentives, drivers of behaviour, ownership models and sustainable club stewardship
- Wider regulatory environment:
- the role of the IFR within the wider English football regulatory framework - coordination with leagues, football bodies and other regulators
- priorities for IFR-FCA collaboration - sponsorship, advertising standards and financial products marketed to supporters
- effects of international governance on English clubs - regulatory consistency, competitiveness and cross-border ownership considerations
- the IFR’s backstop power over revenue distribution - prospects for a new Premier League-EFL financial settlement
