A guide to the Owners' and Directors' Test in English football
The owners' and directors' test (also known as the "fit and proper person test") is a test that is applied to directors and prospective directors of English football clubs to ensure those appointed are appropriate people to act as directors of football clubs. It is designed to protect the image and integrity of the relevant league and the clubs that play in it.
In the top four English leagues there are two tests1:
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the test for the English Premier League (EPL) is set out in Section F of the Premier League Handbook2 (EPL Rules); and
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the test for the Championship, League One and League Two is administered by the Football League (EFL) and is contained in Appendix 3 of the English Football League Regulations (EFL Rules)3
(together the EPL Rules and the EFL Rules being the Rules).
This article compares and contrasts the key points of the Rules.
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- Tags: Anti-Corruption | Championship | England | English Football League regulations | English Premier League (EPL) | Football | Governance | League One | Premier League Handbook | Regulation | The Football Association | The Football League (EFL) | United Kingdom (UK)
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Written by
Richard Barham
Richard heads both the London Corporate practice, and Sports practice, of Dentons.
Richard's focus is on M&A and corporate work. He is particularly interested in corporate governance issues, and regularly advises companies and other organisations on how they best operate to achieve good and effective governance standards.
