I have advised clients on a variety of sports and football related matters. Read my capabilities document by clicking here.

Some of the issues currently affecting the football sector include:

Experience

Broadcasting issues:

At present, there are a number of challenges facing rights holders and clubs alike. The QC Leisure and Murphy ECJ judgments (which are due shortly) have the potential to revolutionise the way rights are sold per territory. Similarly, Ofcom's consultation document on the UK pay-tv market promises to shake up the way other broadcasters can buy Sky's products. In addition, the listing of culturally significant sports events (the World Cup for example) has previously undermined the true value of certain premium sporting rights. The current DCMS review panel in to the current UK List promises to be of significant interest to both rights holders and sports associations alike.

I can provide briefings, advice and practical guidance on these and related issues, in order for anyone to understand the relevant matters at hand.

Football regulatory rule compliance:

I have previously advised on a raft of club ownership issues and have experience in liaising with UEFA, the Premier League and the Football League.

These leading organisations, have detailed rules governing a range of matters including:

• Drugs and WADA testing regulations;
• Club and player disciplinary matters;
• Multiple club ownership;
• Arbitration and alternative dispute resolution; and
• Club ownership issues (including the fit-and-proper-person test).

All these rules have to be strictly adhered to, in order ensure that clubs, owners, players and interested parties are not subjected to fines or sporting sanctions.

Third party player ownership issues:

One specific current area of contention is the ability to own the economic rights (i.e. the future transfer value) of a football player. Since the Tevez fiasco, the Premier League has considerably tightened up its rules regarding third party player ownership. As is well known, West Ham was fined £5.5m by the Premier League and came to a settlement deal with Sheffield Utd rumored to be worth up to £20m. From the 2008/9 season no entity, apart from football clubs, have been able to own the economic rights of a player in the Premier League.

I have spoken at length at various conferences about the ramifications for players, clubs and third party owners alike and specifically about the possibility of a challenge to the Premier League rules. I can help by:

• setting out the current football regulatory framework;
• advising and helping in consultations between football associations, its clubs and/or interested third parties;
• advising on the consequences of any rule changes; and
• assessing the options available to clubs with players who are partly or wholly owned by entities other than a football club.

Such guidance would ensure compliance with the relevant footballing rules and would safeguard against the possibility of fines, possible points deductions or even expulsion from the competition.