Back in 2021, the independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance addressed the governance, ownership, and financial sustainability of English football clubs. Given that many countries across the world already have a regulated sector, it was a welcome move. It even made various recommendations on improving fan engagement.
Subsequent to this, the UK government’s 2023 White Paper on Football Governance outlined the implementation of a ‘minimum standard’ of fan engagement for all football clubs. This standard was to be enforced by a new ‘Independent Football Regulator’ (IFR). As it happens, the Premier League already had a fan engagement standard which was developed in 2022. This included a commitment from each club to consult with fans in a timely manner prior to any significant amendment to a club heritage asset.
Fast forward to 2024 and a Football Governance Bill started to pass through Parliament – its aim was to put the proposed changes into practice. As well as establishing the regulator, it targets the financial and cultural sustainability of men’s clubs in the English league pyramid. During 2025, the Bill was debated at second reading in April and has now been sent to a Public Bill Committee which is expected to report to the House by late June.
It’s worth noting that in the absence of regulation, football clubs are not void of fan engagement. Far from it. That’s because fundamentally fan engagement is good for business – contentment breeds loyalty and drives profit. With an estimated 357 million fans across the 20 Premier League clubs alone (Manchester United accounting for an estimated 83 million worldwide fans), fan engagement is a big deal.
But fan engagement also has depth. Football clubs are woven into the fabric of society and clubs are seen as placemakers for local growth. They are respected for giving back to communities – filling gaps in local education, health and skills. So, enhancing the relationship between the club and its stakeholders has positive societal benefits. And the beneficiaries are broad – such as people living near stadiums, local authorities, young talent, club suppliers and overseas supporters.
Consequently, most Premium League clubs execute fan engagement plans which aim to amplify fan influence, such as board-level fan representation, forums, social media groups and so-on. Better still, many clubs are proactively working towards greater diversity – such as launching initiatives on expanding women’s fan engagement and disabled support associations.
Yet fan engagement has felt superficial. Clubs are too frequently criticised for poor decision making. For example, the over-use of short-haul flights used to ferry players between matches, disrespectful kit designs and sudden price hikes. On the other hand, meaningful fan engagement is not just about feeling connected – it’s about how fans are involved in the day-to-day life of the club and the decisions that get made. At the extremes that could look like ‘fan ownership’ (e.g. Exeter City FC) where votes are used to decide on things.
Despite all the positive signals, the social capital of fans remains largely untapped and levels of fan engagement are mediocre. In terms of the wider picture, only a third of the 92 clubs across the nation have existing fan forums. We estimate there are around 357 million fans across the 20 Premier League clubs. Manchester United alone has an estimated 83 million worldwide fans.
Where next?
Under the new Bill, clubs will be required to consult fans on major decisions. In other words, fans will have a statutory right to be consulted.
The scope is wide – consultation will be required on strategic decisions and ticket pricing, business priorities such as stadium refurbishments, operational & match-day decisions such as kit designs, team names and heritage. This change aims to ensure that fans’ voices are heard and considered when it comes to significant decisions affecting their clubs.
And yes, we’re talking about consultation and not engagement. This means that the clubs must take the view of fans into account and are likely to get scrutinised by the very same Gunning Principles that have applied to public bodies in determining if a consultation is flawed.
The IFR has strong powers of redress to investigate and enforce compliance with its rules and decisions. It has five sanctions at its disposal that it can impose on a club:
- a censure statement;
- appointment of a person to assist in running a club;
- financial penalties of up to 10% of a club’s revenue;
- seeking a court injunction requiring compliance;
- suspension or revocation of a club’s operating licence, so that its team is withdrawn from the relevant league.
Regulators must also consult
As a public body, other functions of the IFR, such as its consultation procedures when developing new rules, may also be subject to challenges brought by a judicial review.
One of the IFR’s first tasks is to consult widely and compile a ‘State of the Game’ report. This is expected in 2026, and should set out the main issues and challenges that the IFR considers that it needs to address within its remit. The two principal tools the IFR will deploy in pursuit of its objectives will be a new licensing regime for clubs, and a new process to approve the appointment of a club’s owners and senior officers.
Calling full time
It’s clear that there’s a lot to be done to help the industry appreciate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Making consultation meaningful will require new skills, platforms and cultures. We’re excited by the prospect of new standards which reinforce fan trust and integrity – as well as an expanded orbit for our profession.
The first step of fan engagement might be some research to figure out what fans actually want and how clubs can harness some of the methods we have been using in the public sector to achieve greatness. ePetitions and fan assemblies, perhaps?