Premier League Launch Fan Engagement Standard

Premier League have launched Fan Engagement Standard to boost communication between clubs and supporters. 

The Fan Engagement Standard (FES) is the latest development amongst a number of measures across the league, with aim of reinforcing club commitment towards ‘ensuring long-term meaningful engagement with supporters.’

“Supporters have always been the lifeblood of football and Premier League fans are known around the world for their passion and enthusiasm,” commented Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters, following months of detailed planning since its approval at a General Meeting in June 2022.

Masters proceeded to iterate that fans “are essential to the ongoing success of the game,” and that their voices are heard beyond the stands at matches but play a “vital” role on key issues in connection to their clubs.

On what the Standard will provide for clubs going forward, Masters added: “The Standard puts structures in place to establish consistency across the League and improve transparency.

“Clubs already carry out a great deal of work in this area, and the Standard is the next step in enhancing these collective efforts. It builds on existing work and is integral to ensuring fan consultation and regular dialogue is embedded across all policies and practices.”

There will be five themes within the FES which individually relate to ‘a series of core commitments and activities.’

The five specific themes include;

• Leadership and Culture
• Listening
• Collaborating and Participate
• Share
• Learn and Improve

All five themes will also act as ‘a baseline’ for club engagement to ensure that there are ‘minimum standards, with defined methods of consulting, reporting and review,’ with aim of ‘transparency and continuous improvement.’

Each Premier League club will publish an individual update on its own work in regard to the FES, setting out their own approach to various key areas, including establishing a Fan Advisory Board (FAB) across each individual club.

This summer will also see all 20 clubs publish a Fan Engagement Plan which will set out their own FES activity approach across next season, with the strategy led by a Board-level official nominated by each team to oversee fan engagement and ongoing operation of FAB.