(Football news) Manchester United have announced a new Fans Advisory Board to strengthen the dialogue between club and supporters and take their inputs for future decisions. Group managing director Richard Arnold and experienced barrister Christopher Saad will co-chair the board and seven fan representatives from a range of backgrounds have been appointed on a voluntary basis to provide counsel and create a new channel to consult the fans.
Christopher Saad, a lifelong Manchester United fan, is a leading barrister who specializes in sports law and was a unanimous choice as co-chairman after an extensive search process. The selection panel comprised the independent Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), the club’s existing fan representative body, club leaders and representatives of the Fans’ Forum. The Fans Advisory Board has been launched to create in-depth board-level consultation, focusing on both strategic and operational issues such as stadium development.
On the board will be two members of the Fans’ Forum, Ian Stirling and Rick McGagh as well as Jonathan Deitch and Duncan Drasdo, chair and chief executive of MUST. Deborah Henry, chair of the Manchester United Women's Supporters' Club and Oli Winton, a senior communications consultant will take the other two fan places on the board. Retired senior civil servant and board member of MUST Dave Pennigton has been appointed as special advisor to the two chairs.
The Fans Advisory Board meetings are set to take place four times a year and Manchester United owner and Co-chairman Joel Glazer will attend the inaugural meeting in January. The initiative was a part of the measures proposed by Joel Glazer last June to strengthen the club’s relationship with fans. Another such initiative is the Fans’ Share Scheme which would enable supporters to have a meaningful ownership stake at the club with advanced talks underway with MUST for the same.
Collette Roche, Manchester United Chief Operating Officer, said: “The launch of the Fans’ Advisory Board is an historic step to ensure that the supporters’ perspective is always heard and understood right up to the highest levels of the club. This will improve decision-making and reduce the risk of conflict with fans on the most important issues.
“We agree with the independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance that fans must have a strong voice in the running of the game, and we believe that our Fans’ Advisory Board and proposed Fans’ Share Scheme are consistent with that important goal.
“We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre of individuals to the Board, all with a strong passion for United combined with the skills to advocate on behalf of fans. I am looking forward to working with Chris and the other representatives to get the Board up and running and establish a key role for it at the heart of the club.”
Christopher Saad said: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to combine my professional skills with my lifelong passion for Manchester United as the first fan Co-Chair of the Fans’ Advisory Board. I firmly believe that we will establish a positive new model for fan engagement in football. Sometimes there will be agreement, sometimes we will challenge hard. We will not shy away from frank discussion.
“Our aim is to widen the areas of consensus and narrow differences, and to help maintain a healthy and successful football club which is in tune with its supporters. I look forward to working with my fellow fan representatives and club leaders in achieving those aims.”
