Regulations

Story: FCA Targets Crypto Sponsorship Deals at Premier League Clubs Over Fan Risk

By Maheen Hernandez

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Lucy Castledine's Warning to Club Boardrooms. Lucy Castledine, the FCA's director of consumer investments, didn't mince words.

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What Clubs Risk by Getting This Wrong. The FCA's letter to clubs isn't just a nudge. It's a reminder that unauthorized sponsorships…

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Government and the Premier League Are Also in the Room. The FCA isn't working on this alone. It's coordinating with the government, the Premier League,…

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Crypto Firms in the Crosshairs. The FCA's warning specifically calls out cryptocurrency businesses among the unlicensed firms…

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UK football clubs are under pressure from their own financial regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority sent direct warnings to clubs — Premier League sides in particular —…

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The message is pretty blunt: these partnerships put fans' money at risk.

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Lucy Castledine, the FCA's director of consumer investments, didn't mince words. She made clear that fans trust the clubs they support, and that trust is being exploited when a…

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Castledine also pushed fans to protect themselves directly. The FCA's Firm Checker tool lets anyone look up whether a financial services company is actually authorized to operate…

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And that's a meaningful ask, because the firms in question aren't always obvious bad actors. Some look legitimate. Some are crypto trading platforms with slick branding.

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The FCA's letter to clubs isn't just a nudge. It's a reminder that unauthorized sponsorships create serious exposure — legal, financial, and reputational.

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So the FCA wants clubs doing proper due diligence on every current and future financial sponsor. Not a quick Google.

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The FCA updates its Warning List regularly. It names unauthorized firms and active scams, and it's designed specifically so consumers — and now, apparently, football club…

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Read also: Halo Financial Collapse: FCA-Authorised Payment Firm Falls Into Special Administration

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Clubs that skip that step aren't just risking their fans. They're risking themselves.

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The FCA isn't working on this alone. It's coordinating with the government, the Premier League, and the Independent Football Regulator to build a broader response.

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