Fair Game Annual Conference 2026

Day one: setting agenda for football’s future

Tuesday 24 March @National Football Museum, Manchester

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Easy access from numerous train stations.
Click this link for full travel information on how to get to the ground.

Sponsorship opportunities are available here.

Day overview: who is it for?

Football is at a turning point. With the introduction of an independent regulator on the horizon, the sport faces fundamental questions about governance, financial sustainability, and inclusivity.

Day one of the conference is designed to tackle these issues head-on, bringing together key voices from across the football ecosystem to discuss how the game can be fairer, more transparent, and financially sustainable.

Through five dedicated streams, attendees can choose practical workshop sessions that align with their interests—whether it's fan engagement, equality and ethics, governance, finance, or club operations.

This day is particularly valuable for:

  • Club executives and owners navigating regulatory changes and financial challenges

  • Policymakers and football regulators shaping the governance framework for the sport

  • Fan groups and supporters’ trusts advocating for greater influence in club decision-making

  • Equality and inclusion campaigners working to make football a safer and more accessible space

  • Football finance experts and economists analysing the distribution of wealth in the game

  • Academies and lower-league representatives ensuring fair compensation for player development

  • Journalists and industry analysts reporting on football’s biggest governance and ethical challenges

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day one: Programme

09:00 - 10:15 | Registration

Check in, grab a coffee or breakfast, and network with fellow attendees before the conference begins.

10:15 - 10:30 | Conference welcome

Niall Couper, CEO, Fair Game
An introduction to the day’s themes, setting the stage for key discussions on governance, finance, and football’s future.

10:30 - 12:00 | Workshop block one

  1. Fan stream: Effective fan engagement
    A session tba

  2. Ethics stream: Gambling
    A session with Gambling with Lives

  3. Diversity stream: Homophobia in football
    A session with Football v Homophobia

  4. Finance stream: The problem with parachute payments
    A session tba

  5. Community stream: The social impact of football
    A session with the Sports Effect

  6. Practical stream: Media training
    A session with Graham Miller

12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch

13:00 - 14:30 | Workshop block two

  1. Fan stream: Capping ticket prices
    A session with Mickey Flannagan

  2. Ethics stream: How green is football
    A session with Green Element

  3. Diversity stream: Sexism in football
    A session with Women in Football

  4. Finance stream: Incentivising good behavious
    A session with Premier League?

  5. Community stream: How to grow the grassroots
    A session with the FA?

  6. Practical stream: Effective lobbying
    A session with Sara Britcliffe?

14:45 - 16:15 | Workshop block three

  1. Fan stream: Fans on boards
    A session tba

  2. Ethics stream: TBC
    A session tba

  3. Diversity stream: Racism in football
    A session tba

  4. Finance stream: Why governance matters
    A session tba

  5. Community stream: Reshaping British culture through football
    A session with British Future

  6. Practical stream: Setting up a Bond scheme
    A session with the Dons Bond

16:30 - 16:45 | Report Launch: Level Playing Field

17:00 - 17:45 | Panel: The legacy of Hillsborough with David Conn

18:00 - 18:45 | Panel: What do political parties see for the future of football

20:00 - 22:00 | Evening entertainment: Auction, dinner and comedy

Join us for a day of insightful discussions, expert analysis, and collaborative problem-solving as we shape the future of football together.

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Day Two agenda