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Back of the net!
Now the Football Governance Act has become law, Greg Campbell explores with Fair Game CEO Niall Couper what this means for English men’s football
REGULATION
Greg Campbell
Partner, Campbell Tickell
Niall Couper
CEO, Fair Game
Issue 79 | September 2025
Greg Campbell: Welcome, Niall. Exciting times, with the Football Governance Act now on the statute book. It’s been quite a journey, and Fair Game has been absolutely fundamental to making this happen. You more than anybody have driven this, Niall.
Niall Couper: Thank you Greg. It means a lot to me. Rarely do you get a chance to stop and look back at what’s actually happened. Lots of people have helped on the journey. Honestly, I still haven’t really taken it all in. So how can we deliver that vision of a fair future for football, the path we’ve been on for four-and-a-half years? We need to think about development of the governance code, a proper financial distribution system, defining fan engagement. These were all hypothetical; now they’re reality.
GC: Clearly we shouldn’t be unrealistic and say we hope it means no more clubs collapsing like Bury and Morecambe. But there is a path to something much better. What do you see as the next steps?
NC: Conversations have already turned towards the key definitions in the regulator’s remit: financial sustainability, ensuring competitive balance, fan consultation. But what do those look like in practice?
There will be a governance code and a ‘state of the game’ report. And Greg, as you know having worked on the Fair Game Governance Code, we’ve got to a very good place. We’ve had a really promising conversation with the regulator. They’re aware of the work that’s gone into our code and hope they can take much of that forward. For the ‘state of the game’ report, we have our Fair Game Index, which hopefully addresses key questions.
On financial sustainability, we have football economists scrutinising Fair Game’s financial model, for instance the financial cliff edges between divisions. The greatest day to day challenge is cash flow, ensuring clubs have the ability to survive the next few months. If you look at the problems at Sheffield Wednesday or Reading, it’s that suddenly ‘we can't pay the bills’. We need each club and their fans to have a guarantee of an accessible resource.
“There are huge differences in the levels of clubs’ resource and expertise. We need them thinking not just what’s good for Spurs, but what’s good for Dorking Wanderers.”
Challenges ahead
GC: There will be huge challenges for the existing institutions: the FA, Premier League, EFL, National League.
NC: We need those four bodies thinking holistically about what is for the benefit of football. There’s a sense they act simply in the interests of their members. There are huge differences in the levels of clubs’ resource and expertise. We need them thinking not just what’s good for Spurs, but what’s good for Dorking Wanderers. Fair Game believes there’s enough money around the game. Redistribution needs to be brave: some will be cross they won’t get the same level of finance. But we have to ensure the whole game is financially sustainable, not just individual clubs.
GC: Where do you see the challenges for clubs as regulation unfolds? For instance, Lincoln City, not a big outfit, to their credit have done a lot of work to ensure they are regulation-ready. But they seem an outlier.
NC: The EFL and Premier League already have mechanisms for real-time financial reporting that the regulator could adapt and adopt. National League clubs though will need support from the regulator: the financial burden of the new system could break some that exist with minimal staffing plus volunteers. But the cost would just equate to a few crumbs from the Premier League. Regulation should be welcomed at all levels though: there’s a recognised need for proper processes, auditing systems and oversight to help clubs run more smoothly. That will benefit clubs and communities.
“The Act talks about fan consultation but if fans are to have a proper say in overseeing club strategy, potential boardroom access, and consultation on areas like club colours, name, badge, location, we need a process for identifying who’s involved.”
For the fans
GC: How will regulation feel for the fans?
NC: This is partly about big definitions: what is a fan and what is fan engagement? The Act talks about fan consultation but if fans are to have a proper say in overseeing club strategy, potential boardroom access, and consultation on areas like club colours, name, badge, location, we need a process for identifying who’s involved. At Spurs for example, you have loads of affiliated fan groups overseas. At Tonbridge Angels on the other hand, the fans are almost certainly going to be people living within a three to four mile radius, and that’s a very different definition.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but we need clarity and a baseline, say all season ticket holders and all supporters trust members, but there could be cases for including other groups. On a different point, we’ve seen examples where fan advisory boards have been filled with people cherry-picked by the club as yes-men and yes-women. That’s not acceptable.
“Women’s players and teams are treated as second-class citizens at grounds, their training slots, facilities, coaching, and access. These issues can only be addressed with a different regulatory regime.”
Womenʼs football
GC: The Act focuses on the men’s game. But what about the women’s game: might there be some crossover of issues? I say this on the back of another astonishing Lionesses success.
NC: There is overlap: some of the men’s game regulation will affect clubs that have the women’s team integral to their business. Mistakes have been made where people assumed problems in the men’s game were the same as problems with the women’s game. They aren’t. There is endemic sexism within football and society. Women’s players and teams are treated as second-class citizens at grounds, their training slots, facilities, coaching, and access. These issues can only be addressed with a different regulatory regime.
We need a consultation process addressing financial sustainability of the women’s game and competitive balance. I think we should move towards an effective women’s game regulator following the Karen Carney review. Otherwise, we risk the game going down the wrong route and repeating the mistakes of the men’s game.
Future of Fair Game
GC: What’s next for Fair Game, having played such a central role in developments up to now?
NC: We are championing a fairer future for football in Britain. We want to work with clubs, supporters, football charities and academics to identify problems, develop solutions, and work with the regulator to implement them. But there’s need too in Europe and beyond, and people are watching as we move to regulation, to see whether a similar approach could help sustainability in their countries.
We don’t want football becoming something for just a few billionaires. It’s the people’s game – that benefits society and communities across the nation, with clubs embedded in their community. It’s about benefits for local towns, adding value and sitting alongside services and community services. To help us promote that vision, we could do with a lot more funding. To any philanthropists who want to help us change the direction and culture of the game and make it something everybody’s proud of, let’s talk!
GC: Thank you very much Niall.
NC: Thank you, Greg, and thank you Campbell Tickell for all the work you guys have done with the governance code and the other support you’ve given us over the years. People like you have helped deliver the Football Governance Act, which is amazing. And I love saying it.
Now onto the next phase! We need a consultation process addressing financial sustainability of the women’s game and competitive balance. I think we should move towards an effective women’s game regulator following the Karen Carney review. Otherwise, we risk the game going down the wrong route and repeating the mistakes of the men’s game.
This is an edited version of the interview. For a full version visit our website.
