Football and the Law: Second Edition

Football is one of the most specialised and complex sectors of modern legal practice. The legal issues surrounding the sport are attracting more attention from the general public than ever before, if the banner of Lord Pannick seen at the Etihad Stadium is anything to go by. In the second incarnation of Football and the Law, Nick De Marco KC of Blackstone Chambers (often referred to as ‘Mr Football’, De Marco also hosts Blackstone Chambers’ The Sports Law Podcast) brings together the expertise of more than 65 leaders from the field of football to create a one-stop, authoritative text for practitioners of all levels.

Building on the highly successful first run of the book, the topics covered in the new edition include all the staples of modern football law, such as sponsorship rights and player disciplinary rules. Kieron Beal KC’s discussion of competition law matters is particularly insightful, as is the chapter on arbitration under various football authority rules written by Ian Mill KC, Andrew Smith and Sam Beer.

One feature of the book that separates it from many of its rivals is its highly informed discussion of burgeoning issues that will likely reshape the sports law landscape over the next decade. Such topics include sports data rights (discussed by Thomas de la Mare KC and Ravi Mehta) as well as more established areas of law that find themselves the subject of significant debate, such as the concept of a reasonable expectation of privacy (which is dealt with by Gavin Millar KC and Sara Mansoori KC).

One of the text’s other strengths is the calibre of its contributors. It is pleasing to see so many leading practitioners in sports law such as Katie Smith, Celia Rooney and Adam Lewis KC provide their valuable insights in such an easily accessible format. Their individual contributions are expertly weaved together by De Marco, who is one of the foremost silks currently practising at the sports bar.

In short, the latest edition of Football and the Law is an invaluable publication, not just for football, but for sports law more generally. It will continue to be a go-to resource on a variety of football issues, many of which Lord Dyson correctly points out are ‘not for the enthusiastic amateur nor the faint hearted’.

Craig Laverty is a trainee solicitor