Independent Football Regulator: Proposals in place to 'shut out rogue owners'

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has announced a new owners' test that is designed to block "rogue" individuals from buying and running football clubs in England.

Members of Parliament voted to back a Football Governance Bill earlier this year in order to establish an independent regulator to oversee the men's game in England's top five divisions.

In its first major policy announcement, the IFR said it plans to establish a new owners, directors and senior executives test that will "give powers to take action when owners or directors fail to meet new requirements".

It replaces the owners' and directors' test - sometimes known as the "fit and proper person test" - which is applied to all prospective buyers of clubs throughout English football.

The test has been widely criticised for allowing unfit personnel to acquire football clubs in recent years.

The IFR said the new proposals will allow it to "hold clubs and individuals to account" through the use of financial penalties, public censure and requiring an owner to divest from a club.

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