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The UK’s Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has hired David Riley as head of legal, a newly created role as the shadow regulator steps up its activities while the Football Governance Bill goes through parliament.
If the bill passes, it will enshrine the IFR into law. Riley joins from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), where he was legal director. At the IFR he will help build the legal department and oversee all legal matters.
The football regulator is intended to improve the sustainability of the English game, such as helping safeguard football clubs’ finances and requiring clubs to engage with fans over ticket prices.
In a LinkedIn post, dated 3 January, he said: “This week I’m leaving the CMA to join the Independent Football Regulator as head of its legal team. The first job is to recruit a team of lawyers to work within the shadow regulator as the legislation progresses. These lawyers will play a central role in shaping the IFR legal function, and working with others to help the IFR prepare to deliver on its statutory objectives.”
Riley spent five years at the CMA, having originally joined as assistant legal director in 2020 from Kirkland & Ellis before becoming legal director in 2021. Riley was at Kirkland for almost a year and a half, having previously been legal counsel for competition and regulatory at Sky. He started his career at King & Wood Mallesons, where he spent close to six years.
The Football Governance Bill was reintroduced in October following threats from UEFA, Europe’s football association, to bar England from the Euro 2028 football tournament if the bill went ahead in its previous iteration due to concerns of “government interference in the running of football”. The proposed bill had sought to give the government powers to veto prospective overseas buyers from purchasing English football clubs if the buyers didn’t align with British foreign and trade policy. That measure has now been scrapped.
The IFR is currently seeking to hire three senior lawyers. Riley added: “For lawyers with a background in regulation, sports, finance or corporate governance, this should be a hugely exciting challenge.”
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