Football Governance Bill [HL]: progress of the bill

The Football Governance Bill [HL] was introduced in the House of Commons on 27 March 2025.

Background to the bill

The bill is in response to longstanding concerns about issues such as:

• the financial sustainability of the English game
• the ownership of clubs
• the lack of fan involvement in the running of clubs

The above concerns, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the game, plus abandoned plans for a European Super League, led to a Fan-led Review of football in 2021. This recommended, among other things, that an independent regulator should be established for the English game. The then government accepted the recommendation. A February 2023 football white paper confirmed the government’s plans to establish a regulator through legislation. The Sunak government introduced a Football Governance Bill but the bill did not complete its passage through Parliament before the 2024 general election.

The Labour Party manifesto (PDF) included a commitment to introduce a Football Governance Bill to “establish an independent regulator to ensure financial sustainability of football clubs in England”, protect football clubs across communities, and give fans a greater say in how they are run.

What would the bill do?

An impact assessment on the bill (PDF) states that its policy objectives are to:

• improve the financial sustainability of individual clubs and English men’s professional football as a whole, in the interests of fans and local communities
• protect and preserve the use of important cultural heritage assets
• ensure that clubs sufficiently engage with their fans on matters of interest to supporters

A Department for Culture, Media and Sport factsheet summarises how the bill differs from the Sunak government’s bill.

The bill would extend to England and Wales only.

The bill in the House of Lords

The bill – HL bill 41 (PDF) – was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 24 October 2024. It had its second reading in the Lords on 13 November 2024. The bill had twelve sittings in committee between 27 November 2024 and 15 January 2025. Minor government amendments were made. No opposition amendments were agreed.

Report stage took place over three sittings between 11 and 17 March 2025. Government amendments were made in the following areas:

• Financial growth
• Regulation and engagement with players and fans
• Statutory review
• Financial distributions

A government factsheet summarises the above amendments.

The bill had its third reading on 26 March 2025.

The bill in the House of Commons

The bill [bill 213] (PDF) had its first reading in the House of Commons on 27 March 2025. Second reading took place on 28 April 2025. A library briefing – Football Governance Bill [HL] – was published for the second reading debate.

The bill was considered by a public bill committee over ten sittings between 3 and 17 June 2025. Government amendments were made to the bill on, among other things, the duty on clubs to pay a levy (clause 53) and the distribution of revenue (part 6 of the bill). No opposition amendments were agreed.

The bill [bill 266] (PDF), as amended in committee, has been published.

The bill’s remaining stages are scheduled for 8 July 2025.