Football clubs investigated by charity regulator

Two non-league football clubs in Walsall are being investigated by the Charity Commission after they failed to correctly submit their accounts.

Two inquiries will examine whether there has been any misconduct or mismanagement of the charities involved with Walsall Wood Community Football Club and Walsall Wood Saints Junior Football Club.

Walsall Wood was entered into a double defaulter class inquiry in July 2022 after it failed to submit its required annual financial documents for two years.

The charity regulator started monitoring the club's junior counterpart in June 2024 after it found the charities were linked.

The BBC has contacted the clubs for comment.

Walsall Wood also failed to follow correct practice when supplying accounts for financial years ending from 2020-2022, said the Charity Commission.

Walsall Wood Saints, for players aged three to 18, failed to supply accounts for 2023 and submitted accounts in 2022 which were non-compliant.

The regulator said that engagement with both charities raised "additional concerns".

The inquiries, opened on 14 January, will examine four issues:

• The trustees' compliance with their legal obligations for the content, preparation and filing of the charities' accounts and other information or returns
• If the trustees are managing their charities in line with their objects and governing documents
• The trustees' compliance with their legal duties and responsibilities in respect of their administration and governance of their charities, and if they have a sufficient number of willing and capable trustees
• If there has been any misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charities

The Commission said it may extend the scope of these inquiries if additional regulatory issues emerged.

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