Chelsea Supporters' Trust has praised the club's decision to establish a new Fan Advisory Board, calling it a 'momentous day' for fans of the Blues. However, they hope that significant progress can still be made in the volume of unelected positions present before they provide their full endorsement.
The advisory board is set to be comprised of six people, with three reserved for Supporter Advisors to the Board, while three more are hoped to be identified by an open application process. The Supporter Advisors to the board are themselves selected with one from the clubs' Fans' Forum, one through diversity and equality representatives on the Fans' Forum and Chelsea Pride, and a further position goes to unofficial supporters' groups, all "elected by season ticket holders and members from candidates put forward by the groups".
The advisory board is set to meet 'at least' three times each year with Chelsea's board members and senior executives, and will 'engage in discussion, exchange information and share insights on potential decisions that impact Chelsea FC supporters'. The intention is to focus on Chelsea's strategic vision and objectives.
READ MORE: When Chelsea will reach Graham Potter tipping point and Todd Boehly's transfer plan for leaders
The deadline to apply for such a position is Friday 24 March at 5pm, while Lord Daniel Finkelstein OBE, who is on of the club's board of directors, will have strategic oversight of the Fan Advisory Board.
The Supporters' Trust is clearly enthused by the progress and have placed their thanks to the club on record but they still have some concerns.
Their statement read: "Today is a momentous day for the Chelsea Supporters' Trust, our members and Chelsea supporters. Since our inception, we have been campaigning for representation at a senior level that goes far beyond the remit of the current supporter representation mechanisms.
"We have worked closely with Chelsea FC on this proposal and are delighted to deliver a commitment that we made to our membership. While this initial proposal issued by CFC forms a good base and addresses many of our asks, we believe that there is still a significant amount of work still to be done before many of our concerns over the unelected nature of a large percentage of the FAB are removed. It must go further than what has been included within this initial proposal before it is fully endorsed by the CST.
"Nevertheless, we will engage with the club and work within the parameters they have initially set. The CST Board would like to place on record its sincerest thanks to CFC for the continued efforts on this proposal. We appreciate that the FAB is a complex concept and believe that getting this right for supporters will be beneficial to the long-term prosperity of our football club."
READ NEXT:
Why Graham Potter is failing as Chelsea head coach as difficult Kai Havertz decision emerges
Mykhailo Mudryk posts cryptic message after giving clear response to Chelsea 'unhappiness' claim
How much Chelsea will have to pay Graham Potter if Todd Boehly makes sacking decision
Todd Boehly must break crucial LA Dodgers rule to end Chelsea slump with Graham Potter decision
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
