Public confidence in the financial stewardship of professional football and rugby clubs has plummeted, with new exclusive polling revealing a profound trust deficit in team owners.
Overwhelming Demand for Stronger Regulation
An exclusive Ipsos poll for City AM has found that less than a third of British adults – just 32 per cent – trust the owners of their football or rugby club to "run their clubs in a financially sustainable manner." The survey of 1,000 respondents, conducted amid intense scrutiny of sports club ownership, shows only 30 per cent actively trust their club's owner, with the remainder unsure.
This scepticism fuels a powerful public mandate for intervention. A staggering 90 per cent of Brits believe external powers should enforce stricter 'fit and proper' tests for prospective owners. Furthermore, 75 per cent of respondents advocate for more regulation to prevent professional clubs from falling into administration, a sentiment amplified by the recent introduction of the Independent Football Regulator in November 2025. Rugby union currently lacks an equivalent government-established body.
A Sector Dogged by Financial Crises
The polling reflects widespread concern over recurring financial instability in both sports. Football has faced notable crises, including Sheffield Wednesday's slide into administration. Rugby union's predicament appears even more acute, with three top-flight clubs entering administration in the past five years, only one of which has been resurrected.
Professor Rob Wilson, a sports finance expert, told City AM: "There is strong recognition that existing ownership rules have failed to prevent repeated financial crises across football and rugby." He interprets the public mood as a demand for proactive safeguards: "The public is signalling that sustainability should be built into the system rather than addressed after collapse. This is a call for stronger governance that protects clubs as community institutions rather than speculative assets."
Accountability and Demographics of Distrust
The research also highlights a clear public appetite for accountability. A significant 76 per cent of Brits believe club owners should be held responsible when their teams encounter financial trouble, while 74 per cent also point the finger at executives and financial officers. A third of people would blame regulatory bodies, and 20 per cent believe corporate sponsors share some responsibility. Just over 10 per cent think the government should bear the blame.
Distrust is not evenly spread across age groups. The proportion of people who trust owners to run clubs effectively diminishes among older demographics, suggesting that life experience correlates with greater scepticism of current ownership models.
Furthermore, overwhelming majorities believe current ownership rules need to be more effective – 81 per cent for football and 76 per cent for rugby. Professor Wilson added: "Fans and the wider public are clear that owners cannot be insulated from the consequences of failure. There is growing frustration with a model where rewards are privatised while losses fall elsewhere. People expect owners to take responsibility for their decisions."
