Club Financial Review Panel is an independently appointed expert panel ensuring consistency and independence to decision making in respect of matters relating to Financial Regulations.
Sport Resolutions was appointed to form and provide secretariat services to the EFL’s Club Financial Review Panel (CFRP) in Summer 2022, which is an independently appointed expert panel ensuring consistency and independence to decision making in respect of matters relating to Financial Regulations.
The CFRP is chaired by Mr Christopher Quinlan KC, Mr Geoff Mesher (Audit Member), Mr Dan Jones (Audit Member), Mr Nick Igoe (Football Member) and Ms Alison O'Dowd (Football Member).
The CFRP is responsible for:
- making determinations based on the information provided to the Club Financial Reporting Unit (CFRU) and by the relevant club(s)
- determining the appropriate outcomes in respect of alleged breaches of any relevant regulations, including Cost Control Rules
- preparing annual reports on the work of the CFRP to the EFL and its member clubs
Sport Resolutions ensures independence and expertise throughout the operation of the CFRP.
The current CFRP Rules can be found at Appendix 6 of the EFL Regulations, accessible here.
CFRP Members’ Biographies
- Mr Christopher Quinlan KC (Chair)
Christopher Quinlan KC is a vastly experienced Silk with an international and national sports law practice. He appears before and chairs tribunals adjudicating upon on-field foul play, off-field misconduct, anti-doping, safeguarding and selection appeals in a wide range of sports and competitions. He has significant leadership experience in sport and generally. He has officiated at the Olympic Games and Rugby World Cups. He is World Rugby’s Independent Judicial Panel Chair, a role he fulfilled for the Football Association (2019-2025).
- Mr Geoff Mesher (Audit Member)
Geoff Mesher is managing partner at Tempest Forensic Accounting, a boutique forensic accounting firm established in 2013, having spent 20 years at KPMG and Grant Thornton.
Geoff carries out forensic accounting, valuation and investigation work and has produced many expert reports and has given expert evidence in commercial, matrimonial and criminal trials. He has carried out a number of football and sports related engagements and investigations. Whilst at KPMG and Grant Thornton, he was responsible for football finance publications considering UK transfer expenditure and trends.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, a Member of the Academy of Experts and a Certified Fraud Examiner with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
- Mr Dan Jones (Audit Member)
Dan Jones is a charted accountant with 25 years of sports business advisory experience. He was the lead Partner for Deloitte’s Sports Business Group globally until May 2022.
Dan has advised many high profile clients in football and other sports including clubs, leagues, governing bodies, governments, agencies, investors and commercial partners on issues including strategic, commercial, financial, regulatory, organisational and structural matters. He has produced expert witness reports and appeared as an expert in a number of sports business regulatory cases.
He was a member of the advisory panel assisting Tracey Crouch MP on the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance in 2021 and the editor of Deloitte’s Football Money League and Annual Review of Football Finance for 20 years.
- Mr Nick Igoe (Football Member)
Nick Igoe is a Chartered Accountant with over twenty years’ experience working in football both at a senior executive level and latterly as a consultant. In that time, he has acquired a unique knowledge of all aspects of football finance and the regulatory regime at all levels of the game from Premier League down to the National League System. Nick is a member of both the Premier League Judicial Panel and Sport Resolutions' Panel.
- Ms Alison O'Dowd (Football Member)
Alison O’Dowd is hugely experienced in football administration, including previous roles as Head of Football Administration with Leeds United and the Premier League.
She is a member of The FA Judicial Panel (including the specialist Anti-Discrimination Panel) & the Sport Resolutions’ Panel, and has recently completed the maximum two 3-year terms of appointment on the British Horseracing Authority’s Independent Judicial Panel.
Other Services
Need help or assistance?
Should you require Sport Resolutions to conduct and manage an investigation, review or inquiry, or have any other enquiries, please get in touch.