Licence fee reform approved

The Government has confirmed its decision to reform the licence fee for the SGSA with effect for the 2024/25 licence.

The announcement was made in a Written Ministerial Statement from Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

This decision follows an independent review of the SGSA in 2022 which concluded the current funding model is “inflexible and not fit for purpose, with the licence fee not reflecting the costs of regulation”.

In September 2023, the SGSA led a consultation with industry on behalf of the Government which outlined proposals on how to change the licence fee. The Government’s statement confirmed that the fee will be based on official average league attendance over the previous two seasons.

As a result of the Government’s decision, the SGSA funding will change so that all regulatory costs are met by those being regulated.  This will reduce the burden on the taxpayer.

The SGSA licence allows the admittance of spectators into the ground to watch matches.  Without this licence, it would be a breach of the Football Spectators Act 1989 to admit spectators. 

The cost of this licence was set at £100 in the early 1990s at the inception of the Football Licensing Authority, the SGSA’s predecessor. Since then, the licence fee has not changed.