Leicester City Welcomes Premier League Fan Engagement Standard
The latest in a series of League-wide measures designed to enhance long-term, meaningful engagement with supporters, the FES was initially endorsed by clubs in June 2022 before its introduction was unanimously approved in November following a period of detailed planning.
While respecting the individuality of every club and its established relationships with its supporters, the FES will uphold a clear required standard through the implementation of a consistent framework with five key pillars:
Leadership and Culture
The importance of club leadership in setting strategy and a culture of fan engagement and collaboration.
Listening
Clubs listening to the views of their fans in a structured and timely manner.
Collaborate and Participate
Supporting collaboration and the introduction of a Fan Advisory Board to promote meaningful dialogue between clubs and fans.
Share
Decisions taken by clubs are transparent and clubs share information in a timely and accurate manner.
Learn and Improve
Supporting clubs to learn and to develop their approach to fan engagement.
Fans can find out more about the Premier League Fan Engagement Standard here.
Fan engagement at LCFC
Leicester City Football Club is committed to creating an inclusive and passionate community where all our fans are valued and engaged. We aim not only to create unforgettable experiences, but to learn from them through a structured programme of fan collaboration that is representative of all supporters and enables fans’ active participation in the Club’s future growth.
We welcome the launch of the Fan Engagement Standard and look forward to implementing its recommendations into our established structure of supporter engagement.
Through our Fans Consultative Committee (FCC), Your 90 Minutes programme, direct relationships with established supporter groups and the proactive work of our Supporter Engagement team and LCFC Help, the Club already places great importance in the views of its fans, using consultation to aid decision making on matters that directly affect the fan experience.
The Club hosted its most recent FCC meeting at King Power Stadium on Wednesday 8 March, where matters including supporter behaviour at away matches and NFC mobile ticketing were discussed at length.
A summary of the meeting can be downloaded here. The Club aims to host another FCC meeting before the end of 2022/23 season.
The Club has also commenced a period of consultation relative to its 2022/23 Singing Section trial in SK1. A survey has been issued to all Season Ticket Holders and Members to gather feedback on the trial, while in-person feedback will be sought at a series of Your 90 Minute sessions in the coming weeks.
Fan Advisory Board (FAB)
Included in the commitments of the FES is the introduction of club Fan Advisory Boards (FABs) – a consultative body with the primary purpose of engaging in two-way dialogue, exchanging information and ideas and securing feedback from a fan’s perspective.
The composition, recruitment and scope of the Leicester City FAB, including its place in our existing engagement framework, is currently under development – a process that itself will involve supporter consultation. Its proposed structure will be published by the end of the 2022/23 season, with the FAB fully operational ahead of the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Fan Engagement Plan (FEP)
As part of its commitment to the Fan Engagement Standard, the Club will publish a Fan Engagement Plan at the start of every season, commencing from 2023/24. The plan, developed in consultation with supporters through our engagement framework, will outline:
- Details of key fan engagement activities to be completed during the season
- Details of key roles and responsibilities of Club officials in relation to fan engagement
- Details of the Fan Advisory Board such as membership, frequency of meetings and reporting
- Details of all Club Heritage Assets requiring fan consultation prior to a material amendment
Leicester City Chief Executive Susan Whelan said: “The passion and energy of supporters brings our game to life and elevates football to the privileged position it holds in the hearts of so many. Channelling that passion into the continued improvement of our clubs through further effective consultation and strong methods of engagement can only be for the good of the game.
“We welcome the introduction of the Fan Engagement Standard and look forward to continuing to learn from the knowledge of our supporters, the insights of their experiences and their appreciation for the Club’s culture and history.”