Mike Falvey is a co-founder and Partner of Argus Pro. He spent more than 25 years in senior leadership across financial services, government, and regulated industries. He was Chief People Officer and Director General at HMRC, then a KPMG Partner. He has advised Ministers and senior officials on policy, compliance culture, and the behaviours that prevent regulatory failure. Mike writes on culture in regulated organisations.
When the Regulator Asks Questions: What Ongoing Events at West Ham Raise for Every Boardroom On 21 August 2026, The Times reported on the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and West Ham United. It reports that the regulator has contacted Essex Police and the FA. Those contacts form part of enquiries into whether David […]
Pattern, Not Incident: What Spygate Reveals About Football Club Governance Culture “A contrived and determined plan from the top down.” Those are not our words. They are the independent commission’s in the EFL’s written reasons published on 21 May 2026 (EFL, 2026; Sky Sports, 2026b). The reasons explain why the EFL expelled Southampton […]
Whistleblowing in financial services depends on far more than a written policy. Most regulated firms run a speak-up channel. However, far fewer cultivate a culture in which people genuinely use it. That distinction, as decades of enforcement now confirm, defines whether the system actually works. Over the past decade, lawmakers have rebuilt the […]
Culture in regulated organisations is what fines actually expose, even when headlines focus on numbers. Regulatory fines have a knack for simplifying complex stories. A number lands. Headlines follow. Statements appear. Then, mostly, the conversation moves on. Yet the recent fines against several Dutch accountancy firms deserve a closer look. Not because of […]
Executive Summary The Football Governance Act 2025 is the biggest structural change to English football since 1992. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has real powers: licensing, financial scrutiny, continuous supervision, and removing unsuitable owners. IFR football governance means that, for clubs that have never faced statutory regulation, this is unfamiliar territory. However, it is […]
The Owners and Directors Test: What’s Changed and Why The ODSE test for football clubs is already in force. It came into effect on 12 December 2025. That made it the first operational element of the IFR’s new regime (Morgan Lewis, 2026). If your club has not yet assessed its exposure, it should. This is […]
Licensing 101: Understanding IFR Provisional and Full Licences The IFR provisional licence for football clubs is not optional. From the 2027/28 season, every club in the top five divisions of men’s football needs an operating licence. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) issues it. Without one, a club cannot compete. This is a statutory requirement […]
What is the Independent Football Regulator, and Why Does It Matter? The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is the biggest change to English football governance since 1992. The Football Governance Act 2025 established it, receiving Royal Assent on 21 July 2025. The IFR is now operational. It has real powers to reshape how clubs are […]
Without CultureOver the last decade, many organisations have faced high-profile compliance failures. The result has been significant fines and damaged reputations. Despite the increasing number of regulations and guidelines, compliance failures continue to occur. The solution isn’t more regulation. Instead, we must foster a culture where compliance is integral and celebrated, not just an administrative […]
