This week, on Tuesday 15 July, the House of Lords approved the final amendments to the Football Governance Bill. Within days the Bill will become law as the Football Governance Act 2025. The Independent Football Regulator established by the Act will not be fully operational until next year, but the ripples of regulation will be felt long before.
The passage of this legislation is a landmark moment for the future of English football, and the Trust wholeheartedly welcomes it. However, we recognise that there is widespread scepticism about regulation in general and that many fans have questions about what the new regulator will actually do — and, crucially, what it will not do.
There is a risk of false expectations and it is important that fans understand the true scope and limits of the regulator’s powers. Crucially, we need to understand what this means for our own club —that has suffered years of financial mismanagement, incompetent leadership and unsuitable ownership.
If a test case is needed for the effectiveness of the regulator SWFC is surely it. The key question now is whether the regulator will prove to be just another layer of toothless bureaucracy or a genuine catalyst for better ownership, stronger finances and a real fan voice at the heart of our club’s governance. The Trust will be working to ensure that it’s the latter.
In the coming weeks, we will publish a series of articles explaining various aspects of the Football Governance Act and what it will mean in practice. We invite questions from members and the wider fanbase and will do our best to answer them clearly.
Together, we can make sure this historic opportunity delivers the change our club and our game so badly need.
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