Premier League clubs have been told the cost of the Independent Football Regulator has doubled, with the annual running costs now set at £20m – twice the figure originally estimated by the Government. The regulator will employ around 100 staff, with the cost met by a new levy on clubs, with Premier League clubs shouldering most of the burden.
The announcement comes just a week after the IFR published its State of the Game report, which revealed the huge financial issues facing English football, which has an annual revenue of £9billion. The regulator says the cost will represent only 0.1 per cent of revenues for some clubs.
Levy details for Premier League and Championship clubs
The highest-earning Premier League clubs, which play in Europe or generate more than £150m in commercial income, will be expected to contribute up to £1.8m a season, with the majority of top-flight clubs paying £600,000 a season. Championship clubs not in receipt of parachute payments would pay around £45,000 per season.
The IFR chief executive, Richard Monks, said: “The announcement of the levy is another big moment for the IFR. Over the last year we have been busy laying the ground for the world’s first independent football regulator.
Regulator's view on the levy
“We have already started to deliver real change in football – whether that’s through the stringent suitability checks we are running on owners and directors or through the State of the Game report which shone a light on how the football industry needs to change.
“The levy we are proposing today represents a fair and balanced approach and will ensure that most clubs pay around 0.1% of their annual revenues. We are confident football will see this is a relatively modest investment to help achieve a more sustainable ecosystem which will provide peace of mind for fans, clubs and the communities they serve.”
The total set-up costs for the regulator have run to £45m, with the bulk being recovered over time from the clubs via the levy.
