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Meeting with the Independent Football Regulator
With the support of the Football Supporter Association’s governance team, Trust STFC representatives recently met with the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
The IFR is a new statutory body created by the Football Governance Act 2025 to oversee the financial sustainability and governance of men’s professional football in England. Its regime is intended to cover clubs from the Premier League down to the National League.
Its principal role is to protect clubs from financial mismanagement and ensure they are run sustainably. Clubs will need an operating licence, with the IFR able to scrutinise financial plans, require adequate resources to meet future liabilities, impose licence conditions where risks arise, and ultimately take enforcement action.
The IFR also introduces stronger statutory Owners’ and Directors’ Tests, including scrutiny of an owner’s fitness to run a football club, their financial resources and source of wealth. It has powers relating to existing owners where concerns arise, including ultimately requiring an unsuitable owner to relinquish control.
The IFR was represented by the supervisor appointed to oversee Swindon Town, together with the IFR Head of Supervision. A broad range of topics were covered through the meeting including the IFR’s role, aims and initial work streams as they prepare to issue provisional licences to each professional club.
We discussed the Trust’s role in Swindon, it’s involvement in the Joint Venture, our focus on the security and sustainability of the Club and finished by discussing the importance of fan consultation and engagement.
It was a very productive session and we look forward to working with the IFR in the weeks and months ahead.
Fan Engagement
On the topic of fan engagement, the last few weeks have seen a number of discussions with the Club over matters impacting supporters. At the most recent Advisory Board, we again raised the feedback from the end-of-season supporter survey and the Club’s underwhelming response to it.
Whilst not publicising it, the Club have issued their Fan Engagement Plan for the 26/27 season. It was issued without consultation with the Trust and limited involvement from the OSC.
When compared to last season’s engagement plan, not much has changed, nor does it say how they intend to bridge the off-field gap between Club and supporters which appears to have grown over the last couple of seasons. However, credit where credit is due – in his pre-season interviews, Ian Holloway has clearly recognised the frustrations of the fans and his comments suggest that he’ll be doing what he can to bring the players and the wider Swindon community closer together.
In one section of the Fan Engagement Plan it says:
“The club also aims to create an inclusive and interactive fan experience that goes beyond the 90-minute game of football, which demonstrates a strong sense of community and belonging among all our supporters.”
Words are easy, action is more difficult. We know that many Trust members are now judging the Club’s ownership and leadership by actions alone.
Given the frustration over the ongoing restrictions in the Town End (with no clear outcome in sight) it is even more disappointing that we have learnt through supporters that the Club have confirmed that they are not selling any tickets in A6U and A6L in the Arkells Stand for the upcoming league campaign. The Club have cited safety issues with the away end segregation line.
Despite our attendance at the Advisory Board and numerous other opportunities to discuss this with us, neither the Trust or the OSC were approached about segregation line safety matters nor their plans to restrict ticket sales for the entire season. We only found out thanks to a supporter sharing an email from the Club with us.
Fan engagement needs to be more than cheap words on a page. As supporters, we were here years before the current ownership took over and we’ll be here long after they leave. Strong away followings and similar season ticket numbers do not prove that fan engagement is working.
We’ve been encouraged by the IFR’s focus on the club’s engagement with fans. The Trust and the OSC continue to work closely together for the benefit of all supporters, but we need the Club to step up and recognise that their current strategy isn’t working and take a fresh approach as we start the new season.
... and finally!
To end on a more positive note, we wish Ian Holloway, the coaching staff and the whole playing squad every success as we kick off the league season at Northampton tomorrow – it promises to be another great away following! Safe travels to everyone heading up the A420 and we look forward to our first home game of the season next weekend.
COYR!
The Board of TrustSTFC
PS – If you are not a member of TrustSTFC and would like to join, here is a link. Any membership earns you a vote in Trust matters. Contact Andy and membership@truststfc.com if you’re unsure of your status.