Independent Football Regulator and English professional football clubs
13 October 2026
A major financial report from England’s Independent Football Regulator reveals that 94% of clubs across the top five leagues are loss-making. The watchdog warns that dependence on wealthy owners, mounting debts and limited cash reserves threaten the long-term survival of numerous clubs.
The State of the Game report found that 66% of clubs could not survive beyond 90 days without new owner funding, while 29% had less than 30 days of financial resilience. The regulator called for stronger controls and warned it could intervene in stalled funding negotiations between leagues.