Saints welcome new Premier League fan engagement announcement
We’ve always taken pride in putting our fans first. Which is why we were delighted to join the other clubs in the league in unanimously approving the introduction of the new Premier League Fan Engagement Standard.
, the Fan Engagement Standard aims to ensure that supporters are given a fair say in the running of their club. As part of this new legislation, every Premier League club is required to create a Fan Engagement Plan and establish a Fan Advisory Board to increase engagement between the club and the supporters – something we have long championed here at St Mary’s.
Formed in 2018, Saints Voice has always been ahead of the curve. A panel of supporters voted in by fellow fans, they meet with club staff and officials several times throughout the year to discuss all aspects of the supporter experience. After all, our club was built by its supporters and we believe your interest should be an important consideration in our decision-making process.
As Saints Voice is already a well-established and well-used channel for dialogue between the club and supporters, we’ve simply fine-tuned the terms of reference to bring them in-line with the Fan Engagement Standard. We will also be continuing our Biannual Fan Forums in-person and online to make sure those fans sitting outside of the board can still get their voices heard – with the next forum scheduled for early next season.
“Since established in 2018, we believe that Saints Voice have helped our club to build a better relationship and understand the needs of our supporters. Over the years, we have influenced several key decisions to reflect those needs. We believe that the Fan Engagement Standard reflects a lot of our work to date, and will enable us to continue and strengthen our joint working to benefit the club and its supporters.” - Mike Sadler, Saints Voice.
With the welcome arrival of the Fan Engagement Standard, we have also appointed a nominated board-level official to oversee both the Fan Advisory Board and the development of our broader Fan Engagement Plan. Managing Director, Toby Steele, will be taking charge of the project and sharing regular updates with you as we continue to build on our already strong foundations.
Toby Steele, MD and FES Nominated Board-Level Official, Southampton FC said: “We whole-heartedly welcome the new Fan Engagement Standard from the Premier League. Our fans are the lifeblood of the club, and we look forward to working even closer together to continue to raise and discuss the important issues at the club.”
We will be sharing more news in the coming weeks, ahead of publishing our full Fan Engagement Plan. In the meantime, if you have any feedback or questions, we’re always keen to hear from our fans. Simply get in touch with our dedicated Supporter Services team on:
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- 02380 711 980
- Or at St Mary’s Stadium on matchdays or Monday to Friday 8.30am-5pm
