Fans

What will the IFR do for fans?

The new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been created with fans at its heart.

For too long, supporters have watched the clubs they love face uncertainty, instability, and, in some cases, collapse. Loyal fans have long campaigned for stronger protections. Now, real change is here.

Our mission is simple: to safeguard football clubs so that fans can keep experiencing the highs and lows of the game they love on the pitch - without fearing that years of passion, pride and tradition could disappear overnight.

A game built over a century and a half of community spirit, loyalty and history deserves to be protected.

The IFR will:

Ensure fans have a say in key decisions about their club’s identity

Including important heritage matters such as the club's name, badge and home ground.

Oversee supporter engagement

Ensuring that every club maintains a structured and meaningful dialogue with its fan base on key issues.

Ensure that fans are kept informed by clubs during insolvency proceedings

Alongside the IFR’s approval of an appropriate administrator.

While our focus is on financial sustainability, the IFR will also have specific powers to make sure clubs talk to their fans - and take their views seriously - on things like stadium moves, club badges or colours, and even ticket prices.

The IFR marks a big change to how football is run - and it will have a direct benefit for fans as we work to improve club finances and raise standards of fan engagement across the game.

Communicating with fans

The IFR was born out of the Fan-Led Review. We want to practice what we preach by involving fans in the regulatory process. Their voices won’t just be heard - they’ll help shape what we do.

We will develop our own fan engagement strategy to make sure we can speak directly to them about the decisions and issues that affect them. And, give them the opportunity to feed in views about our work. We’ll keep fans informed and involved, helping us build a genuine, long-term connection with supporters.

One way we’ll connect with fans is through a ‘Fan Advisory Panel,’ which we plan to set-up in 2026.

Working with the Football Supporters Association, the panel will bring together selected fan representatives to discuss fan priorities and experiences - wherever they link to our remit. We’ll also keep fans updated on our consultations and decisions. Transparency matters to us, so we’ll publish regular updates here.

What the IFR will not do:

While the IFR will play an important role in safeguarding the financial sustainability and governance of football clubs, we won’t be responsible for:

Refereeing of disciplinary decisions on the pitch

Ticket pricing or matchday operations

General complaints including those relating to clubs, leagues or matchday experiences

Player transfers, wages or league fixture scheduling

Addressing issues or welfare, discrimination or abuse in football (see below for organisations that can help).

Some issues fall outside the IFR’s remit, but there are organisations that can help:

The Football Association - The national governing body for football in England, They may be able to help with wider governance issues or direct you to the correct complaints channel.
Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO) - They receive and adjudicate complaints from supporters about professional clubs or competitions when the club or governing body has already had a chance to resolve an issue.
Competition and league organisers - if your issue is directly related to a match, venue, competition rules or a club’s participation in a league, the relevant body (for example the Premier League or English Football League) may have a complaints or supporter-liaison channel.
Your club’s supporter liaison or internal complaints process - Many clubs have a dedicated supporter-liaison officer or a formal complaints system for fans. If the problem happened at or via a match-day, you may wish first to speak to a steward, match-day official, or the club’s own fan engagement contact.
Kick it out - Promoting inclusion and tackling racism, discrimination and inequality in football. They support players, clubs and fans to report discrimination both online and in person.
Show Racism the Red Card – The UK’s leading anti-racism education charity. They raise awareness of racism aimed at players or fans and encourage action to make football welcoming for everyone.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) - Represents and supports football fans across England and Wales. Campaigns for safe standing, fair ticket pricing, and meaningful supporter involvement in club ownership and decision-making.

If you feel you have been discriminated against or witnessed discrimination at a match, the first and best step is to speak to a steward, matchday official or the police. Some clubs also offer confidential text lines or other discreet ways to submit a report whilst still in the stadium. You can also use one of the organisations listed above to submit incidents. Whichever you choose, capturing details of the incident helps ensure it can be investigated.