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New Fans Liaison Officer - why bother?


CotswoldRed

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Apologies that I'm not up to speed on this. 

Can anyone remind me where we are with a new person being appointed?

It's clear to me that this role MUST be steered by the fans themselves. The actions of the board are further from the fans than ever. 

A new FLA in the same mould will be an utter waste of effort in the new climate. 

Am I right in thinking BCFC don't exactly adhere to FLA guidance/rules either? 

PLEASE don't make this a Dave L bashing thread. 

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Statement from the SC&T which explains why we think that the role needs to be filled by someone who can dedicate themselves fully to the role, and not have other commitments such as David Lloyd has now on a match day

Quote

Following the news that current Supporter Liaison Officer David Lloyd is to stand down at the end of the season, the board of Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust calls on the Football Club to see David’s decision as an opportunity to take a fresh look at the supporter liaison role, to work with us to define precisely what it should entail going forward and to seek applications for this important position from among the fan base.

 

“It is a Football League requirement that all clubs have a Supporter Liaison Officer and while the League itself does not specify in any detail what that person should actually do, UEFA have issued best practice guidelines, which we would like to see City follow,” said Club & Trust board member Jon Darch. “The SLO should ideally come from within the active fan base and be in constant dialogue with fans on the issues that concern them not only through supporter group meetings, social media, correspondence and face-to-face discussions between matches, but also by mingling with fans and being available as a point of contact before, during and after games both at Ashton Gate and away from home. David’s other duties as tannoy announcer and matchday hospitality host have unfortunately made it impossible for him to fulfil that latter part of the role.”

The concept of a Supporter Liaison Officer was born in European football, primarily in the German Bundesliga, where some clubs employ three or four fans in this role to represent supporters’ interests to club management, safety authorities and the police. It has been a requirement for clubs in England and Wales to have an SLO since the start of the 2012/13 season.

“Our understanding is that many of the best SLOs around the UK and abroad have a background in the active fan scene. They experience interaction with the club from the outside looking in, like any other fan, not from the inside looking out, like members of club management staff. Only by having such a background are they able to understand fully the concerns and issues of the ordinary fan and to convey these from a supporter’s perspective to the club’s executives,” explains Club & Trust chair Stu Rogers. “While we like to think that we at the Supporters Club & Trust do our best to represent fans on many issues, we are a group of volunteers and there are only so many hours in each day that we can devote to ensuring supporters’ interests are looked after properly. A Supporter Liaison Officer employed by the Football Club and fulfilling as far as possible the job specification set out by UEFA would supplement our own efforts and guarantee that the interests of supporters are at all times fully represented within the corridors and meeting rooms of Bristol City Football Club.”

The Club & Trust has taken the UEFA best practice guidelines for a Supporter Liaison Officer and drawn up an example job specification for the role at Bristol City. We urge the Club to review this, to work with us to refine it further and to seek applications from fans keen and able to take on this demanding role from season 2015/16 onwards.

 

More information on the role of the SLO can be found here on the Football Supporters Federation website and here on the Supporters Direct website.

Via this link you can read the full UEFA Supporter Liaison Officer Handbook.

 

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8 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

How are the actions of the board further from the fans than ever?

Short of a Q&A on the forum, the communication from the club is little more than a one-way street.

Little communication from on high, unless we are winning every week.

So much of everything has changed at AG in the last 10 years (stadium fabric aside).  Very little of it do I like or agree with (I'm only 1 person, but I'm not alone).  The attitude from many is draconian and at times unfair.  The atmosphere at AG is blander than at any time in 10 years.

It feels like an entertainment venue that I have very little input into.  Not as much of a 'club' as it used to be.  The fans have no teeth any more.

Yes, I could do more myself to confront this (and will try to when time permits).

I will add - much of what they have achieved is fantastic.

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42 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Surely it's a role perfectly suited for the Supporters Trust. Member

Just wondered are ST members democratically elected? If not how can one be sure they represent the views of the wider fan Base? And is it a closed shop. Or can anyone become a ST member? Personally I think perhaps it might be best to leave liaison officers etc to the board, rather than some rag tag diluted gene pool with no accountability! IMO.

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11 minutes ago, john from high littleton said:

Just wondered are ST members democratically elected? If not how can one be sure they represent the views of the wider fan Base? And is it a closed shop. Or can anyone become a ST member? Personally I think perhaps it might be best to leave liaison officers etc to the board, rather than some rag tag diluted gene pool with no accountability! IMO.

Yes we have all been voted in.  There will be another AGM in the summer.  Anyone is welcome to stand for board positions, the reality is though that those of us who have been doing this, have done so now for 10 years, and we often struggle to get new pairs of hands on board.  (pardon the pun) Our meetings are always the first Wednesday of the month though, and anyone is welcome to attend. 

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24 minutes ago, john from high littleton said:

Just wondered are ST members democratically elected? If not how can one be sure they represent the views of the wider fan Base? And is it a closed shop. Or can anyone become a ST member? Personally I think perhaps it might be best to leave liaison officers etc to the board, rather than some rag tag diluted gene pool with no accountability! IMO.

It depends what the purpose of a FLA actually is.  I no longer know.  It at least needs a clear charter (with 'deliverables'), agreed up front.

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5 minutes ago, Dollymarie said:

Yes we have all been voted in.  There will be another AGM in the summer.  Anyone is welcome to stand for board positions, the reality is though that those of us who have been doing this, have done so now for 10 years, and we often struggle to get new pairs of hands on board.  (pardon the pun) Our meetings are always the first Wednesday of the month though, and anyone is welcome to attend.

Thanks for the reply. I take it then it is the Supporters trusts job, to represent the wider fanbase. If so, and bearing in mind the amount of unhappy campers you get on this forum. I would say it might ne best to leave the job of liasion officer to a professional. 

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47 minutes ago, john from high littleton said:

And is it a closed shop. Or can anyone become a ST member? 

Anyone can join. Simply fill in an application and send it in. I think there's one on the OS but if not Dolly can tell you where to find one. I'm not sure what the annual sub is these days but Dolly will know.

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20 minutes ago, john from high littleton said:

Thanks for the reply. I take it then it is the Supporters trusts job, to represent the wider fanbase. If so, and bearing in mind the amount of unhappy campers you get on this forum. I would say it might ne best to leave the job of liasion officer to a professional

I disagree.  It needs a person with the right personal attributes, not the right professional ones.

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1 hour ago, john from high littleton said:

Just wondered are ST members democratically elected? If not how can one be sure they represent the views of the wider fan Base? And is it a closed shop. Or can anyone become a ST member? Personally I think perhaps it might be best to leave liaison officers etc to the board, rather than some rag tag diluted gene pool with no accountability! IMO.

Steady on!  Unpaid volunteers, anybody can join and any who is prepared to put the hours in can stand.

You will never please or represent everybody but this is an organisation that is set up by, is run by, and is open to all City fans.  If you're unhappy with what they do, and enough people agree with you, then you can join, get elected and change it. 

Off you go.

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Just now, Clarky89 said:

Job pays £20,000 - or it did before the inclusion of Bristol Sports. 

Not enough.  This isn't a role for a kid, or an administration person.  It's a role that requires communication, negotiation, liaison and marketing skills.  And someone with real determination who is prepared to make a stand and represent the fans' views to the Board, whether positive or not. 

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3 hours ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

Update:

The post was advertised internally and has now been filled. The only interviewee was successful and  Mark Ashton has now appointed him. 

I'm sure everyone will join with me in wishing Pete Johnson every success.

 

Damn you, Marina. I've just broken a rib from laughing so much. Nurse!!!!

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