Darragh MacAnthony has spoken out about the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
Speaking on the Hard Truth podcast, the Peterborough United chairman hit out at the regulator’s powers, describing them as “scary”.
The IFR oversees the top five tiers of men’s football in England. Its aim is to ensure that clubs remain financially stable.
MacAnthony claimed that he understands why the IFR was brought in, but he fears that its powers are too far-reaching.
He said (via Peterborough Telegraph): “The owners as a group are aware that Football League clubs are losing too much money, but some of what I have heard about the regulator is scary.
“I read the other day that they want clubs to show that they have X amount of money in the bank, not including transfers, in order to prove that they can operate.
“If they want me to show that I have 10-20 million in cash then they may as well get me to sell Peterborough. My money is tied up in investments, properties and businesses.
“[But] in 19 years of owning the club we have always paid our bills on time. That’s a source of pride for me.”
MacAnthony said he worries that the actions of a few bad owners mean that all club owners will be tarred with the same brush.
“Peterborough does business really well. We are almost a template for how to run a League One club.
“Now for the regulator to say that you need to do things differently because of a few s*** owners, that doesn’t sit well with me. Regardless of the size of our debt, we are a well-run club.
“It’s unfair to say that we now have to change the way we operate because of a few bad apples.”
He also said that League One owners have been trying to find solutions to the league’s financial issues.
“The League One owners have been meeting to bring down our debt. We have five or six plans to stop clubs losing so much money.
“We mostly all do our best to run good ships. We don’t need serious roadblocks punishing us all further.”
The IFR was created last summer when the Football Governance Act was passed.
As well as ensuring financial sustainability, it states that it wants to safeguard “the heritage of English football”.
Other objectives include a “new licensing regime for clubs, and a new process to approve the appointment of a club’s owners and senior officers”.
If a club falls foul of any regulations, the IFR can impose a range of punishments, from fines, to suspending or taking away a club’s operating licence.
The regulator has already proved controversial. It was revealed that the chair, David Kogan, had made financial donations to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in 2024, before he was appointed to the role.
