Posted on 6th July 2015
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
Football supporters from across Europe gathered in Belfast at the weekend for the 8th annual European Football Fans’ Congress.
More than 250 fans from across Europe met at the congress in Belfast, convened to debate big issues affecting football across the continent and elect the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) committe for the next two years.
FSF are affilliated members of FSE, and our chief exec Kevin Miles was elected to the committee once again. The committee, pictured above, carries out much of FSE’s campaign work and meets with UEFA to discuss supporter issues.
The new members of the FSE Committee are: Stefanie Dilba (Bündnis Aktive Fußballfans, Germany), Herjan Pullen (Ajax Amsterdam Supportersvereiniging, Netherlands), Jim Spratt (Amalhamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, Northern Ireland), Robert Ustian (CSKA Fans Against Racism, Russia), Dirk Vos (Belgian Supporters, Belgium), Basar Yarimoglu (Taraf-Der, Turkey), Kevin Miles (Football Supporters Federation, England & Wales) and Tine Hundahl Jensen (Danske Fodbold Fanklubber, Denmark).
Debates at the congress ranged across many common issues for fans all across Europe, including mass punishments, stadium bans, the fight against discrimination, the Euro 2016 Fans’ Embassies and last, but not least the state of FIFA.
Earlier today, the chief executive of the FSA Kevin Miles, along with other fan representatives, met with the prime minister Boris Johnson and secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden. Joined by senior figures from the FA and the Premier League, the meeting was called to discuss the response to the threat of a European Super League – below is our statement on the meeting.
There are many levels of supporter engagement and, close to the top, is the inclusion of suitably skilled fan-elected directors on the boards of football clubs.
Scunthorpe United has announced the appointment of a fan-elected director following a vote involving the Iron’s supporter groups. Neil Wright, chair of the club’s London and South East Supporters Club, will represent supporters’ groups at board level.
On Thursday 19th September our EFL League 1 and 2 Network met, and elected Manny Dominguez from the Bradford City Supporters Trust as the Network’s third representative on the FSA’s National Council.
