New Fan Advisory Board to be created by Robins Trust and Cheltenham Town F.C.

— 7 minute read

An agreement to form a Fan Advisory Board is the key component of the new Fan Engagement Plan agreed between Cheltenham Town FC and the Robins Trust.

The Trust and Club have been working collaboratively on the framework for the English Football League (EFL)-mandated Plan over the summer, with assistance from the Football Supporters Association.

Improvements to engagement and communication was one of the clear focuses of the Trust’s Building for the Future plan released in May.

The plan has been finalised and lodged with the EFL - it will also be registered with the Independent Regulator for Football (IReF) once it is established.

And now that Plan can be shared with Robins supporters, along with details of how all fans can help shape what comes next.

The plan, in full, can be read here: https://www.ctfc.com/fans/fan-engagement

KEY FEATURES

  1. The Establishment of a Fan Advisory Board (FAB), with working group meetings to take place during the 2024/25 season to define full scope and structure
  2. Adopting new terminology for the club director appointed by the Robins Trust shareholding
  3. A joint commitment to exceed the EFL mandated Fan Engagement Standards
  4. A commitment to improved communication throughout the season, including formalised SLO drop-in sessions, fan surveys, fan forums and an annual report.
  5. A commitment to work together to create a ‘Volunteer Army’, with a formalised structure and plan of work to be agreed each season.

Robins Trust chair James Young said: “Our Building for the Future document released at the end of the 2023/24 season showed an incredible appetite from supporters, both for meaningful engagement and better communication of the club’s forward-thinking and ongoing plan.

“The proposed Fan Advisory Board will be a key conduit to achieving this. As part of the working group meetings which will be held during the 2024/25 season, we will work to outline a plan for how the FAB works to empower, and work alongside, the director appointed by the Trust.

“We look forward to continuing the positive progress made in recent weeks, to fulfilling the work outlined in our Building for the Future document, and to ensuring that the fan engagement standards at our club set the standard for how a EFL club interacts and engages with its supporters.”

Cheltenham Town Chairman David Bloxham said: “Cheltenham Town have always recognised itself as a community Club whose fans are at the very heart of what it is.

“The appointment of a fan elected director eight years ago meant the fans had a direct voice within the boardroom in the running of the Club.

“The adoption of the Fan Engagement Plan is welcomed and will further amplify the voice of the fans in decisions affecting the future of our Club.”

THE KEY FEATURES IN DETAIL

ESTABLISHING A FAN ADVISORY BOARD

Fan Advisory Boards are mandated for clubs in the Premier League, and while not the case in the EFL, the Football Supporters Association has stated the following:

“FSA recommends that every club should have an FAB to cover strategic club issues. Albeit not required by EFL rules it is likely that the football regulator will mandate it.”

With that in mind, the Trust and Club have agreed to establish a FAB in time for the start of the 2025/26 season, with working group meetings to take place throughout 2024/25 to achieve this.

While full details of how the FAB will be structured and operated are still to be agreed, it is a fundamental requirement that they be open, inclusive and independent from the Club.

There will be reserved places for elected members of the Robins Trust board, and seats set aside for key supporter groups, including the 1887 Red Army, Proud Robins, HerGameToo as well as exploring the idea of places for individual elected members.

CHANGING THE TITLE OF THE FAN ELECTED DIRECTOR

At the Trust-Club board-to-board meeting held in June 2024 in response to the Building for the Future document, there was unanimous agreement from both sides that the role of Fan Elected Director needed rethinking.

By being the only director on the CTFC board with a differing title, there is an assumption that the FED operates some form of lesser role. This is not true and so the feeling is to remove the point of difference.

The role of Fan Elected Director simply becomes Director - albeit one still elected to serve, and appointed by, the interests of the Robins Trust as the third largest shareholder in the club.

To quote the agreed plan: “The Director appointed by the Trust will sit on the FAB, take guidance from the FAB, and report back to the FAB members on matters of strategic importance.”

A JOINT COMMITMENT TO EXCEED EFL-MANDATED FAN ENGAGEMENT STANDARDS

At their June 2024 AGM the EFL Clubs approved measures to strengthen Rule 128 regarding its member clubs’ engagement with supporters.

This includes the adoption of the Fan Engagement Plan, a commitment to hold two open fan forums each year and the appointment of a senior lead for engagement at each club.

The new Labour Government’s plans for the Football Governance Bill which it has committed to in the 2024 King’s Speech are expected to go beyond these standards.

Therefore, the Trust believes it is important to set standards higher, and to promote the importance and huge value to be achieved by exceeding the Rule 128 standards.

We are pleased that the Club have agreed and we will continue to push ahead with these plans in the coming weeks, months and years.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION

The Building For the Future document published by the Robins Trust in April 2024, and the fans forum held that month, highlighted a collective desire for supporters to be better informed.

Communication has not been good enough. It was clear from April’s forum that supporters are unaware of the Club’s forward-thinking plans and strategies, schemes or initiatives it has in place.

While the FAB will not be able to openly-comment on its discussions, a commitment is in place to set, publish and report upon action points.

Each season the Club will have to comply with the EFL regulation 128 requirement to submit an “end of season summary of work” - it is our collective aim to go above and beyond this requirement.

CREATING A VOLUNTEER ARMY

The Robins Trust’s inbox is a clear indication of a desire from supporters to help the club. However, there have, sadly, been incidents of volunteers not feeling appreciated when they do.

We believe a line should be drawn under what has happened and set a new, formalised, structure to make volunteering for the club something that is valued, and of value.

Volunteering creates community spirit, builds rapport and helps to manage resources. As part of the Engagement Plan - and as stated in Building for the Future - the Trust will lead with a plan for creating a Volunteer Army.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Robins Trust will continue to work with the Club board, the Club’s SLO and the Football Supporters Association to establish a ‘Working Group’ timeline and structure for the FAB and, crucially, how every Robins fan can get involved.

The Fan Engagement Plan sets in place a timetable for engagement throughout the 2024/25 season, with one mandated ‘Working Group’ meeting in 2024.

The Robins Trust will ensure announcements and updates are made as soon as we are able, and with as much notice as possible of timeframes, to allow the process and involvement to be as open and as inclusive as possible.

If you have any questions please contact the Robins Trust via info@robinstrust.org.