Fair Game calls for stronger rules to keep football clubs safe and stable
“The State of the Game report can give the regulator the tools it needs to act early, act proportionately and protect the long‑term future of our clubs.
“This is about building a system that rewards responsibility, reduces volatility and puts stewardship at the heart of football”
Niall Couper, CEO Fair Game
FAIR GAME has today published its response to the Independent Football Regulator’s consultation on the State of the Game report - and is urging the regulator to take a clearer, more joined‑up look at what really keeps football clubs safe, stable and well‑run.
Using three years of evidence from the Fair Game Index, the organisation says the regulator should focus not just on money, but on the full picture of what makes a club strong: good leadership, honest decision‑making, proper fan involvement, strong community links, and protecting clubs from risky owners or sudden financial shocks.
Fair Game is calling for the report to:
Look closely at clubs’ short‑term cash risks and early warning signs of trouble;
Examine how money is shared across football and how that affects clubs’ behaviour;
Highlight the dangers of clubs relying too heavily on one owner;
Bring together key areas like governance, fan engagement, ethics, diversity and environmental responsibility into one clear framework; and
Focus on what causes problems, not just what the problems look like once they’ve happened.
Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, said:
“The Independent Football Regulator has a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to reset the foundations of English football. Our evidence shows that financial sustainability, good governance, fan trust, community impact and ethical standards are not separate issues – they are deeply interconnected.
“By adopting an integrated framework and focusing on the real drivers of instability, the State of the Game report can give the regulator the tools it needs to act early, act proportionately and protect the long‑term future of our clubs. This is about building a system that rewards responsibility, reduces volatility and puts stewardship at the heart of football.”
Fair Game stresses that these changes don’t expand the regulator’s powers, they simply make sure the report gives a true picture of what’s going wrong, why it’s happening, and how to fix it before clubs reach crisis point.
