Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and co-hosts the Football Supporters’ Association (the FSA) will co-host the European Football Fans Congress 2023 (EFFC2023) in Manchester, England, running from Thursday 22nd June to Sunday 25th June.

• The event is now full but you can still register for the FSA AGM on Saturday 24th June – email [email protected]

The event will begin on Thursday 22rd June with an opening evening at the National Football Museum, and a distinct European flavour, followed by a day of debate at the Manchester Metropolitan University (Lyceum Place, M15 6HB) on Friday 23rd June with a spotlight on football in England/Wales. 

Saturday 24th June sees the FSA AGM and FSE BGM take place alongside more breakout debates while we stay at MMU for Sunday 25th June and a day reserved for discussions centred around the women’s game. Both days will again be at Manchester Metropolitan University (Lyceum Place, M15 6HB).

A social programme will be in place across the full weekend for visiting fans.

EFFC23 programme:

• #EFFC23 is underway and a full programme for the weekend is available to download now.
  

For updates follow #EFFC23 and FSE / FSA on Twitter: @FansEurope / @WeAreTheFSA

Further details / quick links:

• Timetable & topics
• Programme
• FSA AGM & elections
• Accommodation
• Travel & Visas

Timetable

• Thursday 22rd June (evening) – opening night at the National Football Museum including a tour and gues speakers Aleksander Čeferin (UEFA president) and Debbie Hewitt (FA chair).
• Friday 23rd June – We’ll be at MMU for 10am spotlighting the big issues in England and Wales plus an In Conversation with Gary Neville. Events throughout the day will look at club ownership, financial sustainability, ticket prices, broadcasting, sustainability, Fans for Diversity and more.
• Saturday 24th June – Registrations will open at 9am for the FSE BGM which will start at 9.45am. Lunch will then be followed by a plenary looking at the issue of multi-club ownership and what it means for clubs and supporters across the world. The FSA AGM will follow that and run from 3pm-5pm while FSE Network events run concurrently (delegates can choose which they would like to attend). A social programme will be in place for the Saturday evening.
• Sunday 25th June – Women’s football comes into specific focus as delegates explore how we can grow the game while staying true to supporter needs. For those still in Manchester for the remainder of the day there’ll be a get together from 2pm.

Across the weekend there’ll be a huge range of discussions covering (deep breath) away fans and ticket prices, broadcast and kick-off times, VAR, the fan-led review and supporter engagement, fan ownership and heritage protection, multi-club ownership, Euro 2024, the Champions League 2022 Independent Review, the climate crisis, biometric surveillance, football and human rights, Fans for Diversity, international cooperation and more.

• The #EFFC23 is available to download now.

FSA AGM & elections

The FSA’s AGM will take place on Saturday 24th June (3pm-5pm) and FSA members can register for the AGM by emailing [email protected]

Elections – nominations for a range of roles on the FSA’s National Council for individual, associate and affiliate members have now closed, and voting is underway. All individual and associate members should have received their voting link. If you have any questions about the 2023 AGM in the meantime, email FSA secretary Richard Irving.

Accommodation in Manchester

FSE and the FSA have liaised with the local tourism board in Manchester who have prepared an online portal for EFFC 2023 attendees to book reasonably priced accommodation within the city centre close to the venue. You can access the portal here: The European Football Fans Congress 2023 – Start your reservation (passkey.com)

Members and attendees are mostly staying in the area around Manchester Metropolitan University, which includes hotels such as DoubleTree by Hilton, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Ibis and the Britannia Hotel City Centre. Delegates are encouraged to check the reviews of any accommodation before booking to ensure it is suitable for their needs. Not all of the hotel options are available through the portal but may be through other online booking engines.

Travel & Visas

You must have a passport to enter the UK from Europe. Depending on the country you are travelling from, you may need a visa – check the UK Government’s website to determine whether you need a visa here.

If you do need to apply for a visa, you can do so here. FSE strongly encourages those who need a visa to apply ASAP to ensure it is permitted in time to attend EFFC23. When applying for a visa, in order to get a timely and successful response, we strongly advise you to provide all relevant personal details (full name, address, date of birth), passport credentials, and other details relating to your visit such as confirmed hotel bookings and flights.

• We appreciate that’s a lot of information! If you have any further questions email [email protected] and register for EFFC23 here.