Football Governance Bill: What is it and what will it mean for Premier League and EFL clubs

A new independent regulator for English football is set to be established, with legislation in the form of the Football Governance Bill being introduced to Parliament.

The Bill, which will support the creation of a new regulator overseeing clubs in the top five tiers of English football, will be presented to Parliament on Tuesday 19 March. The regulator's main jobs will be making sure clubs can pay their bills, helping football become more financially robust across different leagues, and protecting the history and integrity of English football.

The Conservatives promised a review led by fans of how football is run in their plans for the General Election in December 2019, just after Bury FC went into administration. This review was started in April 2021, right after the European Super League scandal.

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The main suggestion from the review was to create an independent regulator, and now begins the process of making it official. One of the key aspects of the Bill - which must go through Parliamentary process before it is made law - is that the regulator will have the power to decide on a financial agreement between the Premier League and the EFL (the so-called 'New Deal') if they can't agree themselves.

The exact details of when the regulator's powers will be triggered and what those powers actually are haven't been revealed yet. However, the Government has stated that the regulator will have the power to hand clubs fines up to 10 per cent of their turnover if they seriously break the licence terms.

They will also introduce stricter tests for club