The Premier League have today launched their Fan Engagement Standard (FES) which outlines a set of standards and core commitments for meaningful engagement with supporters.

The FES is the latest piece of work in a series of League-wide measures designed to reinforce each clubs’ commitment to ensuring long-term supporter engagement.

All Premier League clubs unanimously approved the introduction of the FES in November 2022, and we welcome its launch and the key elements that have been included in the framework, which will be used to create and design our own set of standards and our own approach to fan engagement moving forward.

The five themes that are discussed throughout the FES include Leadership and Culture, Listening, Collaborating and Participating, Sharing, and Learning and Improving. There is also a series of core commitments and a framework included for each of these themes. To take a look at the full document, please click here.

Leeds United are one of a number of Premier League clubs that already have a well-established Fan Advisory Board, the Leeds United Supporter Advisory Board (SAB). The club introduced a revamped SAB in October 2021, with supporters given the opportunity to apply online to be a member, with 11 supporters then chosen through a panel associated with the club that represent the wider fanbase and various supporter networks currently running. Our SAB is one of the only groups in the Premier League to meet once a month to discuss various topics, with an agenda set ahead of each meeting and minutes taken to ensure everyone in attendance is in agreement over everything that is spoken about during each meeting.

The club and SAB members are currently finalising a governance document that will outline the core components of the SAB which will include but is not limited to details around meeting frequency, publication of minutes, confidentiality, and a code of conduct.

The club have also recently launched their very own Disabled Supporter Advisory Board, with the first ever meeting taking place in March 2023. This group will meet with the club once every quarter to discuss a range of areas relating to disabled supporters and ensuring that Elland Road is accessible for everyone. Leeds United are also looking at how we can better communicate and engage with the younger fanbase, to make sure that we are listening to as many of our supporters as we can and to help us better understand what is important to each segment of the fanbase.

As part of the FES, each team must also nominate a Board-level official to oversee fan engagement within the club, and we are pleased to announce that CEO Angus Kinnear will be the Leeds United Board-level official for fan engagement. Angus is fully committed to continuous improvement around engaging with fans and welcomes the introduction of the FES and everything it stands for.

Prior to the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the club will publish its own Fan Engagement Plan that will outline all of our key aims and objectives for activities with fans and engaging with supporters throughout the following season.

The club will continue to meet with the Leeds United SAB every month between now and the end of the current season, with the Disabled SAB also set to meet again before the 2022/23 campaign comes to an end.