- Published
- 2 November 2026
- Written by
- Joseph Smith

Writing in City AM, Joseph Smith, Senior Consultant at Henham Strategy, looks at the Independent Football Regulator’s draft State of the Game report and argues that stadium investment is key to the financial health of clubs further down the pyramid. He calls on government to use the Stadium Regeneration Accelerator to help smaller clubs overcome planning, transport and land barriers they can’t tackle alone.