SUMMARY
As we end the 2024/25 season it is time to reflect on the progress of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and to identify ways we can continue to evolve and improve it to assist the club in making better decisions and fully understand the impact our decisions have on fans. Our shared view is that FAB remains an integral part of the club’s governance and is a valuable source of insight, challenge and ideation around the clubs’ strategic matters. We have been going through a period of significant change off the field, with new shareholders, a new executive management team and large scale exits from the club. This has of course impacted the progress of FAB this season as new relationships have needed to be formed, trust built, and previous ground covered again to ensure a shared understanding and vision. Whilst this has been challenging at times, we do now believe we are in a good place to refresh our terms of reference and approach in order to put us in the best possible place going forward. There will be some further changes in personnel on our FAB, with our Co-Chair stepping away at the end of his tenure, but we are confident we have a very capable replacement taking over who will continue the great work of his predecessor. Prior to the final FAB meeting of the season, we once again conducted our annual effectiveness review questionnaire. This is now the third time we have run this assessment, and we are pleased that the Premier League has adopted it and made such a survey a recommended part of how FABs are run. The review highlighted key strengths of FAB and also areas for improvement. At our June meeting we discussed lessons learned from ticketing decisions made in 2025, particularly with regards to improving the process for consultation and communication. The club outlined the value of working sub-groups to convene between forum meetings and for sub-groups to have representatives from both the FAB and Fans’ Forum to reflect the views of both bodies in helping to inform the club. We are confident that with the above tweaks we will further improve the effectiveness of FAB and it will continue to play a vital role in informing our decision-making process and influencing the way we engage with our fans. Finally, we would like to place on record our thanks and appreciation for the many hours of unpaid work and dedication the fan representatives put in to their roles, especially in a difficult period for the club on the pitch. Chris Saad (Co-Chair) and Collette Roche (NBLO).
Please note, Dan Jones and Toby Craig will be taking on the roles of Co-Chair and NBLO for the upcoming season, respectively.