Over the past year Macclesfield Town FC (“MTFC”) had been a regular recipient of charges from the English Football League (“EFL”) for breaches of the EFL Regulations, and subsequently of sanctions from Independent Disciplinary Commissions and League Arbitration Panels. Then, on 16 September 2020 it was announced that MTFC had been wound up. This article provides a chronology of MTFC over the past year to try and explain how MTFC came to be in this position, and explains what being wound up means for MTFC.

On 25 August 2020 the EFL’s announced that an Independent Disciplinary Commission had dismissed the charge brought by the EFL against Derby County FC in respect of the valuation associated with the sale of Pride Park in 2018. This article considers how the IDC reached that decision.

Between August 2018 and June 2020 Birmingham City FC entered a business plan with the EFL, was against the EFL in three hearings, was deducted nine points and was issued with a reprimand. Now all of that is behind BCFC and their financial health seems much improved, this article provides a summary of those three hearings to explain what exactly happened.

On 7 August 2020 the EFL announced that League One and League Two clubs had voted for the introduction of Squad Salary Caps. The PFA had already invited the EFL to an expedited arbitration in respect of the legality of the salary caps. This article explains the salary caps and considers the PFA’s arguments, and one additional argument, as to the legality of the same.

On 28 July 2020 the Court of Arbitration for Sport released its final award with reasons in Manchester City FC’s appeal against UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body’s decision that found MCFC to have overstated sponsorship revenue and not cooperated with the CFCB’s investigations. This article explains the CAS’s decision and considers the significance of the same.

Sheffield Wednesday FC and Derby County FC are awaiting the outcome of charges made against them by the EFL following each clubs' sale of their respective stadium in order to comply with the EFL Championship Profitability and Sustainability Rules. This article explains the background to those charges and considers the clubs' prospects of defending the same.

Wigan Athletic AFC Ltd (“WAFCL”) entered administration on 1 July 2020, just 27 days after a takeover had occurred. Rumours as to what caused WAFCL to enter administration abound. This article provides a complete timeline of events leading to WAFCL entering administration, and considers those events and what is next for WAFCL.

Hawk-Eye Innovations’ Goal Line Technology committed a ‘goal line incident’ in the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Sheffield United FC (“SUFC”) on 17 June 2020, which resulted in SUFC not being awarded a goal that should have been awarded. This article considers the applicable rules and law and whether SUFC and other clubs have a claim in respect of the incident.

On 16 June 2020 a Panel established by the WTO’s DSB released a report in respect of claims by Qatar against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”) for KSA’s alleged breaches of the TRIPS Agreement. This article provides a summary of the report and also considers whether the report affects KSA PIF’s involvement with a reported takeover of Newcastle United FC.

Dele Alli was recently sanctioned with a one-match ban, a £50,000 fine and attendance at an education programme following a Snapchat video he posted that depicted an unacceptable racist stereotype. This article explains how that decision was made and whether the sanctions imposed go far enough to kick out racism.

UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body has banned Manchester City FC (“MCFC”) from UEFA club competitions for two years and fined MCFC €30,000,000 for MCFC’s breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations. This article explains the circumstances and the applicable legal framework of those sanctions and considers what can be expected from MCFC’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the same.

The supposed, reported takeover of Newcastle United FC by Amanda Staveley, Reuben Brothers, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (“KSA PIF”) has brought the FA Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (“ODT”) into the spotlight. Will the KSA PIF pass the ODT?

What will happen to football supporters’ season tickets or individual match tickets should the remainder of England’s football leagues’ clubs’ matches for their 2019/2020 seasons to which those tickets apply be cancelled or played “behind closed doors” because of Covid-19?

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