Chelsea have promised to be “pioneers in fan engagement” after setting up a new advisory board for supporters.
The Premier League giants have followed through with their pledge to set up a Fan Advisory Board and are inviting applications for supporters. They claim supporters will have a say on decisions, meet at least three times a year and board members will be present at all of the get-togethers.
The FAB will be made up of six supporters with three places reserved for the Supporter Advisors to the Board with the club now looking to appoint an extra three places via an open application process.
It follows the fall-out from the European Super League when Chelsea pledged to increase engagement with supporters and the new hierarchy under owner Todd Boehly is also determined to carry through with the promise.
They are now leading the way on other Premier League clubs who have also tried to increase supporter engagement and it will be welcomed amid last week’s announcement of a new independent regulator, which includes strict rules on fans having a say on key decisions.
Chelsea director Lord Daniel Finkelstein said: “As a life-long Chelsea fan and season ticket holder, I am proud to be serving on the board of the club I have always loved. I was also a member of the panel in the Government’s fan-led review and am committed to fan engagement within the club.
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“Through my position on the board, I want to ensure the club has the ability to respond reactively to supporter issues. Through our Fans’ Forums and other communication channels, we believe we are working well to capture this feedback and will continue to develop mechanisms to do so.
‘In addition, I want to ensure our supporters are represented when we are considering long-term plans for the club.
“Our supporter advisors to the board have been an important step in the right direction, and we know we can do more. I believe the Fan Advisory Board is a critical step in this process and look forward to working closely with the members of the FAB.”
The news received a cautious welcome from the Chelsea Supporters Trust who called it a “momentous day” but still wanted more of a say.
The CST said: “Today is a momentous day for the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST), our members, and Chelsea supporters. Since our inception, we have been campaigning for representation at a senior level that goes far beyond the remit of the current supporter representation mechanisms.
“We have worked closely with Chelsea FC (CFC) on this proposal and are delighted to deliver a commitment that we made to our membership.
“While this initial proposal issued by CFC forms a good base and addresses many of our asks, we believe that there is still a significant amount of work still to be done before many of our concerns over the unelected nature of a large percentage of the FAB are removed.
“It must go further than what has been included within this initial proposal before it is fully endorsed by the CST.
“Nevertheless, we will engage with the club and work within the parameters they have initially set. The CST Board would like to place on record its sincerest thanks to CFC for the continued efforts on this proposal.”
