Sports law in 2025 – Key issues to watch in UK & Ireland

Here are the top sports law issues to watch out for in 2025 in the UK and Ireland from the LawInSport Editorial & Advisory Board.  We hope this proves useful not only in identifying specific cases and issues, but also in detecting broader themes when read in conjunction with the contributions from other jurisdictions.

Contributors:

• Louis Weston, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers
  • Sports world to clash with governments?
• Jon Walters, Partner, Northridge Law
  • Formula One developments
• Genevieve Gordon, Commercial and Legal Director, Netball Players Association
  • The drastic need for improved safeguarding standards
• Alistair McHenry, Partner and Head of Sport, Tyr
  • The image of sports in light of continuing integrity-related battles
• Daniel Geey, Partner, Sheridans Sports Group
  • Athletes will continue to own part of the investment pie
• Lydia Banerjee, Barrister, Littleton Chambers
  • The growth of independent regulation in sport
• Tim O’Connor BL, Practising Barrister, Irish Bar
  • Investigations by the Irish tax authorities into various County Boards in the Gaelic Athletic Association
• Leigh Thompson, Head of Policy, Sport and Recreation Alliance
  • The introduction of ‘Martyn’s Law’ (the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill)
• Danielle Sharkey, Senior Associate, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP (assisted by Daniel McDonagh, Associate)
  • Women’s football
  • Artificial intelligence in sport
  • Continued rise of non-traditional disruptor formats
• Robert McTernaghan, Barrister, Sports and Human Rights Law, Bar of Northern Ireland & Ireland
  • Transgender rights and participation in sport
• Andrew Nixon, Partner, Sheridans Sports Group
  • AI will transform sport for the better, provided we do not ignore the risks
• Sohail Ali, Partner, Disputes & Investigations Team, DLA Piper (assisted by Jonathan Tembo, Solicitor Apprentice)
  • Continued integrity challenges to sport
• Mark Hovell, Partner, Mills & Reeve LLP
  • Outcome of the Manchester City FFP case
• Rupert Beloff, Barrister & Joint Head of Chambers, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
  • Football Governance Bill: the interplay between the new regulator and the existing power structures within football
• Chris Anderson, Head of Regulatory Affairs, City Football Group
  • The passage of the Football Governance Bill through Parliament
• Gareth Farrelly,​​​​ Senior Associate, Glaisyers, and CEO of the Union of European Clubs
  • The continuous barrage of challenges to the governance model of football
• Nick De Marco KC, Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
  • The increased tendency of ordinary courts and legal principles to intervene in sport
• Dev Kumar Parmar, Principal Director, Parmars
  • Governance and dispute resolution developments in esports

We would like to thank each member of our Editorial and Advisory Board for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share their views with us, and also more broadly for their significant input into LawInSport over the course of the year. Thank you.