IFR Supporter Group Survey - Fan Engagement

Survey

This survey is being conducted by the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to gather information from supporter groups from football clubs in the top five tiers of English men's football around Fan Engagement.

We are issuing this survey via the FSA, and are inviting a select representative sample of supporter groups (i.e., Fan Advisory Boards, Supporters' Trusts, Independent Supporters' Association (ISA) and Diversity Groups) to contribute. This is an important opportunity for supporter groups to share their views which will help to inform the IFR’s 'State of the Game’ report (see more information here).

All survey responses must be based on information from the 2025/26 season (the current football season).

Important Note:

  • This survey must not be shared on social media as the IFR wants only one response per supporter group.

Who we are

We are the Independent Football Regulator (the IFR), as established by the Football Governance Act 2025 (the Act). The Act received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025 and IFR was legally established on 1 November 2025.

The IFR’s core statutory objectives are to:

  • protect and promote the financial soundness of regulated clubs

  • protect and promote financial resilience of English football

  • safeguard the heritage of English football

We will have powers to operate a licensing regime, and to monitor and enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation; fan engagement; club heritage; and will introduce an enhanced club owners, directors and senior executives test.

We will set corporate governance standards, will oversee a number of obligations on clubs protecting club heritage, e.g. stadia sales, changes to badges and kit colours, and will have the power to prohibit regulated clubs from joining competitions where they are not fair and meritocratic, and would threaten the heritage and sustainability of English football.

In order to best implement these powers, prioritise within the regime and take regulatory decisions, we need to develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of how the football industry works.

How to respond

You can submit your response to the proposals by filling out the survey link below.

At the beginning of the survey, you will be asked to enter a specific code. This code was provided to you via email along with the link to this page.

Confidentiality

We do not intend to publish any individual responses. Information contained in responses may be used or summarised in public documents. If your response contains sensitive information, please identify it and explain why you consider it sensitive.

Accessibility

If you have accessibility requirements relating to our consultation documentation, please get in touch via the Accessibility Requirements page to inform us of your requirements.

Personal Data

We accept the right for responses to remain anonymous and a response that wishes to remain confidential should be appropriately marked. We may contact an individual to discuss their request for confidentiality further and ask for reasons.

We are subject to the rules set out in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR).

Section 1 of FOIA gives a general right of access to information held by public authorities, and the Act adds the IFR to the list of ‘public bodies’ which fall within the remit of FOIA.

The EIR requires public authorities to make available on request the environmental information they hold.

EIR (reg. 2(2)) defines “public authority” by direct reference to FOIA. Personal data collected as part of the consultation process will fall within the remit of the DPA.

Section 7(1)(a) defines “public authority” by direct reference to FOIA. Whilst we may publish data about the number of responses we receive, it must not disclose the personal information of any of the respondents during this process.

Survey Duration and Deadline

To help you plan, we estimate this survey will likely take between 5 and 10 minutes.

All responses must be submitted by Thursday 16th April 2026, 5pm.

Survey

This survey is being conducted by the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to gather information from supporter groups from football clubs in the top five tiers of English men's football around Fan Engagement.

We are issuing this survey via the FSA, and are inviting a select representative sample of supporter groups (i.e., Fan Advisory Boards, Supporters' Trusts, Independent Supporters' Association (ISA) and Diversity Groups) to contribute. This is an important opportunity for supporter groups to share their views which will help to inform the IFR’s 'State of the Game’ report (see more information here).

All survey responses must be based on information from the 2025/26 season (the current football season).

Important Note:

  • This survey must not be shared on social media as the IFR wants only one response per supporter group.

Who we are

We are the Independent Football Regulator (the IFR), as established by the Football Governance Act 2025 (the Act). The Act received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025 and IFR was legally established on 1 November 2025.

The IFR’s core statutory objectives are to:

  • protect and promote the financial soundness of regulated clubs

  • protect and promote financial resilience of English football

  • safeguard the heritage of English football

We will have powers to operate a licensing regime, and to monitor and enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation; fan engagement; club heritage; and will introduce an enhanced club owners, directors and senior executives test.

We will set corporate governance standards, will oversee a number of obligations on clubs protecting club heritage, e.g. stadia sales, changes to badges and kit colours, and will have the power to prohibit regulated clubs from joining competitions where they are not fair and meritocratic, and would threaten the heritage and sustainability of English football.

In order to best implement these powers, prioritise within the regime and take regulatory decisions, we need to develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of how the football industry works.

How to respond

You can submit your response to the proposals by filling out the survey link below.

At the beginning of the survey, you will be asked to enter a specific code. This code was provided to you via email along with the link to this page.

Confidentiality

We do not intend to publish any individual responses. Information contained in responses may be used or summarised in public documents. If your response contains sensitive information, please identify it and explain why you consider it sensitive.

Accessibility

If you have accessibility requirements relating to our consultation documentation, please get in touch via the Accessibility Requirements page to inform us of your requirements.

Personal Data

We accept the right for responses to remain anonymous and a response that wishes to remain confidential should be appropriately marked. We may contact an individual to discuss their request for confidentiality further and ask for reasons.

We are subject to the rules set out in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR).

Section 1 of FOIA gives a general right of access to information held by public authorities, and the Act adds the IFR to the list of ‘public bodies’ which fall within the remit of FOIA.

The EIR requires public authorities to make available on request the environmental information they hold.

EIR (reg. 2(2)) defines “public authority” by direct reference to FOIA. Personal data collected as part of the consultation process will fall within the remit of the DPA.

Section 7(1)(a) defines “public authority” by direct reference to FOIA. Whilst we may publish data about the number of responses we receive, it must not disclose the personal information of any of the respondents during this process.

Survey Duration and Deadline

To help you plan, we estimate this survey will likely take between 5 and 10 minutes.

All responses must be submitted by Thursday 16th April 2026, 5pm.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Supporter Group Survey

    Important Note: All survey responses must be based on information from the 2025/26 season.

    To help you plan, we estimate this survey will take between 5 and 10 minutes.

    You will be able to return to a previous page at any point during the survey by clicking the 'previous' button, and if you need to close and complete any of the questions later, you will be able to do this by logging back in.

    Once you have submitted your responses you will be unable to edit them.

    All responses must be submitted by Thursday 16th April 2026, 5pm.

Page last updated: 21 Apr 2026, 04:50 PM