They are the five individuals at the Premier League set to play a key role in the fate of Manchester City. The competition's board has the responsibility of recommending a punishment after the seismic news in September of the club being found guilty of breaching financial rules by an independent commission. While that three-person commission panel will ultimately decide on a sanction, the Premier League's submission will be considered, along with the view of City of course, who maintain their innocence and have appealed.
It is not known when a sanction hearing will take place, nor what sanction the Premier League will want, with a fine, points deduction, expulsion or the stripping of past titles all possible. But who makes up the Premier League's board, and how have their recommendations over punishments been received in past disciplinary cases? Among various roles and responsibilities, the board is the entity responsible for prosecuting breaches of Premier League rules.
It comprises the league's chair, chief executive, and three independent non-executive directors, with no club representatives included - in order to provide independence and neutrality. Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal? How much did Man City's rule breaking cost your team?
Alison Brittain has kept a low profile since becoming the league's first female chair almost four years ago. Formerly a senior executive in the hospitality and financial services sectors, she is also chair and trustee of The King's Trust Group. Described as "sensible" by one acquaintance, in September she spoke at a university alumni event, revealing that she was initially sceptical about joining the Premier League because she had never worked in sport.
Two senior club executives - the former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham (now at Spurs), and ex-Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow - told her that her skillset was what the league needed, helping to persuade her to apply. She said: "They actually spent some time talking to me and saying 'we aren't looking for a super fan. In fact we're looking for the exact opposite - somebody who will bring a different mindset.
A business mindset, governance standards, be able to reset us a little bit into a different way'…and so I then went through the process and ended up in the job." Describing herself as a "lifelong Manchester United fan [who] stood in the Stretford End before it had seats, as a kid" because of her family's allegiance, Brittain is now also a Brentford supporter. In 2025, she received unanimous backing from the 20 clubs to continue for a second three-year stint. Speaking in 2024, Brittain acknowledged the league was "not without its challenges".
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