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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Paul Gorst

FSG make 'historical' boardroom move that could be part of their Liverpool legacy

FSG LFC Supporters Board SOS Darwin Nunez Joe Blott Spirit of Shankly Football Liverpool FC

The chair of the newly-established Liverpool FC Supporters Board says the agreement will become "a legacy for future generations" of Reds fans.

Spirit of Shankly member Joe Blott has been appointed as head of the 16-strong LFC Supporters Board, which will aim to deliver meaningful representation at boardroom level at Anfield.

The agreement between club owners Fenway Sports Group and the supporter representatives has been hailed as a "historical" and "ground-breaking" one that could eventually lead to similar contracts across English football.

The terms, which were officially made public on Wednesday, will see the Supporters Board convene four times a year with club executives in an informal capacity alongside an annual meeting with FSG and the deal is the culmination of talks behind the scenes that began following the Super League debacle in April 2021.

Mr Blott, who is also the chair of influential supporters union Spirit of Shankly, believes it is a major step forward in placing some power back into the hands of Liverpool fans across the world, in a statement given on the SOS website.

"Today, Wednesday 17 August 2022, Spirit Of Shankly enters into a new era of fan engagement," he wrote. "One that will bring challenge, opportunity and renewed hope with the potential to define the future and set an example for others to follow. And one, most crucially, that gives us the supporters a fundamental and legally binding role in Liverpool FC’s decision-making processes for the first time in the club’s history.

"Just over a year ago three days, in April 2021, shook football to its core. The European Super League — an initiative designed to complete football’s transformation from a competition of sporting merit to one based on profit and greed. But as supporters of one of the six English clubs that pioneered the plan, it has been hard to forget.

"Regrettably, one of the leading owners in this episode was FSG. For fans of Liverpool FC it was a bitter blow that ran counter to our understanding of the club’s values, ethos and relationship to the community. But this wasn’t just a story of a few clubs, it was a story of the weakness of the existing frameworks of fan empowerment within football.

"Tribal differences were put aside as a committed rearguard action began. Protest at other clubs was a key element in demonstrating supporters’ anger, but we felt we also had to use this opportunity to remodel supporter engagement and influence, the very thing that had failed us during this episode.

"Spirit of Shankly were aware of the looming government review of English football, led by former sports minister Tracey Crouch. This was set to look at ownership, governance and regulation, and explore measures to ensure fans and local communities have a greater say in the major decisions of football club owners.

"We sought the views of members, as any union would, and the overwhelming response was to try to work with LFC’s ownership to reach a solution. Fans knew this was their mess and that they had to clean it up. It was for them to rebuild the reputation, values and principles of our club.

"When SOS representatives walked into Anfield to meet with LFC representatives on 4 May 2021, we knew what we wanted, but didn’t know what to expect. We had asked the views of other fan groups, such as the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association, Kop Outs and SK 1906, and knew we were going into these negotiations with the full support of all LFC supporter groups. This was a powerful signal to LFC and formed the basis of the talks. Any changes SOS could secure would benefit all.

"Remarkably, our asks were immediately viewed as realistic. This was the beginning of realising SOS’s long-term aim of fan representation at board level and subsequently, the first principles of the Supporters Board were agreed. These included a fan veto or consent, on existential issues affecting our club."

Mr Blott added: "I am humbled to have been elected as the first Chair of the LFC Supporters Board and am looking forward to working even more closely alongside partners and affiliates. This is historical, groundbreaking work, a step into the unknown but one I believe will be a benefit to today’s fans and more importantly, a legacy for future generations.

"From the fallout of the ESL proposals to today, it has been a proud journey and I could not have done that without my colleagues at SOS, our partners and LFC, who came to the table willing and wanting change.

"As a Board, we need to acknowledge the eyes of LFC and the wider football world are on us. This year is undoubtedly the most important year in terms of fan-engagement in the history of LFC. We will need to develop our professionalism, highlight our values and principles and continue to secure the best possible model.

"Supporters being the solution, not the problem is an incredible shift in thinking. No other set of PL fans, possibly no other football fans, have the opportunity we now have and we need to seize the moment."

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