Can A New Football Regulator Improve England’s Top Leagues?
Significant changes are on tap for professional football in England.
The House of Commons passed the Football Governance bill by a vote of 415 to 98. The new law will create a football regulator for the English Premier League (EPL) and English Football League (EFL). Its goal will be to ensure financial stability for all clubs and save struggling clubs before they go out of business.
Below, we’ll share a few predictions about how the historic change will affect the future of English football.
Smaller Clubs Will Have Room to Grow
The driving reason behind the Football Governance Bill is to help save the country’s smaller clubs. Proponents of the soon-to-be law have pointed to several clubs that have been forced to close their doors due to financial reasons. The hope is that this new regulator will be able to provide advice to struggling clubs and hopefully catch mistakes before they happen.
The independence of the football regulator will also help. This ensures the rules are enforced the same for all clubs, leveling a playing field that has become increasingly slanted. It also allows them to investigate corruption without fear of reprisal from higher-ups.
We expect to see many of the smaller clubs thrive once the regulator is put into place. This will benefit fans from across the country, some of whom have already seen their favorite clubs fold under financial pressure. An independent regulator won’t fix everything, but it should create a better product for fans of the EPL and EFL.
Leagues Will Get More Competitive
If a football regulator can help keep stability in the EPL and EFL, it will also have a trickle-down effect on their respective tables. With smaller clubs becoming more stable, they will be able to attract more players from around the globe. They won’t be signing big stars, but they will be fielding far more competitive squads as the years pass.
This would be a welcome change for the English Premier League in particular. The league has become fairly predictable, with Liverpool and Manchester City combining to win the last eight EPL seasons outright. That’s made betting on the winner each season a rather dull task.
This season is no exception, as sportsbooks from casino sites are once again favoring Liverpool and Man City. While the new regulator won’t be a quick fix, it can eventually boost the rest of the league, which will help keep fans engaged throughout the long season.
Fight Against Regulator Won’t End
While the Football Governance Bill passed with 415 votes, that doesn’t mean it will be safe from opponents. That includes a conservative MP, Louie French, who has promised to lead an effort to overturn the bill as soon as possible.
The bill was initially introduced over a year ago, but it faced resistance from Conservatives, who held power at the time. The bill failed to pass before the election, which resulted in the Labour Party taking over the government. This allowed the party to reintroduce and pass the bill in 2025, dealing a blow to opponents such as MP French.
With political division deepening throughout the country, it’s hard to know how long the Labour Party will remain in control. With trade wars, global conflicts, and immigration debates capturing headlines, it’s not inconceivable that the Labour Party’s victory will be short-lived.
The political danger for the bill means there will be pressure for it to make a noticeable impact fast. If it fails to do so, the Conservative Party would likely eliminate the regulator when it takes back control of the government.
