Introduction: The Football Governance Act and the Independent Regulator
In July 2025, Parliament passed the Football Governance Bill, now law as the Football Governance Act 2025. This legislation introduces the first ever Independent Football Regulator (IFR) for English football.
The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust welcomed this as an important step towards protecting clubs and fans from poor ownership and mismanagement. You can read our original statement here.
When the Act passed, we promised to help explain what it means in practice. Supporters have asked us a wide range of questions about how the regulator will work, what powers it will have, and how it could affect Sheffield Wednesday.
This new section of our website brings those answers together. It is designed as a living resource:
- We’ll publish a series of articles that break down different parts of the Act in plain language.
- We’ll keep an updated FAQ with answers to questions raised by members and the wider fanbase.
- As the regulator becomes fully operational, we’ll track how it applies the law and what this means for supporters.
If you have a question you’d like us to put to the regulator, or an issue you’d like explained, please get in touch with us at hello@swfctrust.co.uk
Part 1: Can the Independent Football Regulator Remove a Bad Owner?
Our first article looks at the most pressing question fans have asked: does the regulator really have the power to force an unsuitable owner to sell?
FAQ: Independent Football Regulator
Answers to common questions from members and fans — from licensing rules to owner tests, investigative powers, and what this means for Sheffield Wednesday.
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