Analysis of the Act and the IFR's rules
Written for the people at clubs who have to do the work, and checked against the primary sources. Every citation is to the Act, the schedules or the IFR's published rules and guidance of 1 July 2026.
All articles
Applying for a provisional operating licence: the window, the form, and what complete means
The application window runs 2 November 2026 to 26 February 2027. What the application actually comprises, how the completeness review starts the three-month clock, and the order in which to prepare.
The four mandatory licence conditions: your reporting year from June 2027
Every operating licence carries Conditions A to D: financial plan, corporate governance statement, fan consultation report and annual declaration. The real windows, in one reporting calendar.
Who counts as an owner: Schedule 1's five conditions and the traps in Part 2
The Act's owner definition reaches well beyond the share register: joint arrangements, nominee holdings, chains of majority stakes and controlled rights all count. The five conditions, and the interpretation rules that change the answer.