FAIR GAME BACKS TRUST FIRST CALL FOR FANS TO BE PUT AT THE HEART OF THE GAME
"It’s time to ensure that meaningful fan engagement isn’t just a slogan, but a reality.
“Clubs belong to their communities. This campaign is about giving those communities a real voice in the game they love and Fair Game is proud to support it.”
Niall Couper
CEO of Fair Game
FAIR GAME has joined a coalition of 22 Supporters Trusts, from all levels of the English game, in lobbying legislators to guarantee primacy for Trusts and other democratically-constituted supporter groups in the forthcoming Football Governance Bill.
The Trusts First campaign, led by the original Supporters Trust at Northampton Town, is asking for the unique status of Trusts to be recognised and enshrined in law.
Niall Couper, the CEO of Fair Game, said:
“Fair Game is proud to stand alongside Trusts First, a coalition driven by the original Trust at Northampton Town.
“This is about putting fans at the heart of football. Supporters’ Trusts, and democratically-run fan groups, must be given proper recognition and primacy in the Football Governance Bill.
"It’s time to ensure that meaningful fan engagement isn’t just a slogan, but a reality.
“Clubs belong to their communities. This campaign is about giving those communities a real voice in the game they love and Fair Game is proud to support it.”
Andy Roberts, the chair of NTFC Trust, added:
“We owe a huge debt to our late founder Brian Lomax, who campaigned tirelessly and passionately for supporters to be at the heart of their football clubs.
“The Trust movement was founded in 1992, the year the Premier League was introduced, yet many fans up and down the country continue to be disenfranchised and marginalised by club owners pursuing their own vested interests.
“We now have a clear opportunity to get all mandated supporter groups front and centre of fan engagement, not just those who are cherry picked by clubs to sit on their panels and boards.
“This will enable them to play a meaningful part in decision making at their clubs.
“We feel this should form part of the legislation and not be left to the discretion of the Independent Football Regulator.”
The 22 members of The Trust First Group include Trusts from Barnsley, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers, Exeter City, Fulham, Leicester City, Leyton Orient, Manchester United, Morecambe, Northampton Town, Plymouth Argyle, Reading, Scunthorpe United, Southend United, Swansea City, Swindon Town, Torquay United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Fair Game will be hosting a meeting with democratically-elected supporter groups next week to hear their concerns for the future of football first hand.
The Trusts First group has made a submission to MPs sitting on the Football Governance Bill committee.
