Premier League launches Fan Engagement Standard

The Premier League is pleased to announce the launch of the Fan Engagement Standard (FES).

It comes as the club announces that it will be recruiting additional members to its own Fan Advisory Board in the coming months.

The FES is the latest in a series of League-wide measures designed to reinforce our clubs' commitment to ensuring long-term meaningful engagement with supporters.

Clubs initially endorsed the development of the FES at the Premier League AGM in June 2022, and it is being introduced following a period of detailed planning.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said, "Supporters have always been the lifeblood of football and Premier League fans are known around the world for their passion and enthusiasm. There is no doubt they are essential to the ongoing success of the game, so I am delighted to introduce the new Fan Engagement Standard.

"It is vital we ensure the voices of supporters are not only heard in the stands, but also when it comes to having a say on key issues relating to their clubs. The Standard puts structures in place to establish consistency across the League and improve transparency.

"Clubs already carry out a great deal of work in this area, and the Standard is the next step in enhancing these collective efforts. It builds on existing work and is integral to ensuring fan consultation and regular dialogue is embedded across all policies and practices."

The FES embraces the unique identity and culture of each club and its fanbase, while also helping to establish a clear required standard for supporter engagement. It will measure the varied and valuable work of clubs and fans in a practical way that helps to promote collaboration and the sharing of good practice.

In 2022 the club began a process to recruit a Fan Advisory Board (FAB) who could act as a sounding board and assist the club in the many decisions that affect the supporters. 

The board was to be made up of up to eight supporters covering 1901 members, season-ticket holders, Women’s Super League season-ticket holders and MyAlbion+ members.

Fans were invited to apply and after shortlisting there was a vote amongst supporters for the final representatives. We promoted diversity and inclusion to reflect the broad nature of our fan base.

We now have five Fan Advisory Board members, chaired by elected Chair Gillian Martin. The FAB meet with club representatives three times a season, with the Chair then meeting the board once a season. 

Jenny Gower, Head of Ticketing and Supporter Services, is the nominated member of the club’s Executive Committee responsible for fan engagement and the running of the FAB. Sarah Gould, Supporter Services Manager and Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) attends all meetings.

In the coming months the FAB will be looking to recruit additional members and interested supporters are advised to keep checking the website for details. In advance of the 2023/24 season, we will be publishing a full Fan Engagement Plan.

Two members of the FAB will be attending the summer board meeting in June to present progress to date and future plans to chairman Tony Bloom and the board of directors.

Fan Advisory Board chair Gill Martin said, “We are pleased to be founder members of the FAB and look forward to welcoming some new recruits very soon. The Government’s recent White Paper makes it clear that fans are every football club’s biggest stakeholder.

“Brighton & Hove Albion has been at the forefront of many aspects of fan engagement including establishing a FAB earlier than many other Premier League clubs. The Fan Engagement Standard provides a framework to support continued dialogue between clubs and their fans.

“The FAB have worked with the club on developing its own Fan Engagement Plan and we feel confident that we can make it work in practice. We look forward to continuing a meaningful conversation with the club and to ensure that the fans’ voices are not only heard but valued.”