Round-up: FSA AGM 2022

Football fans from across the country gathered together on Saturday at AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane for the FSA’s 2022 AGM. Supporters discussed the organisation’s work throughout the year and proposed new policies on a range of issues affecting match-going fans.

Summary

Adoption of the minutes from the December 2021 AGM

Minutes from the December 2021 AGM held online were accepted by delegates with one abstention.

Other resolutions

Annual Review & auditors

To receive and adopt the annual review and financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2021 together with the auditors’ report thereon. And to appoint the auditors to report on the Annual Review and financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2022. Both resolutions were passed unanimously.

Motions

The meeting considered the following motions for new areas of FSA policy:

Motion 1: Transgender athletes

Women’s football has always been an inclusive space that welcomes people from the LGBTQ+ community. As members of the FSA Women’s Game Network, we believe the current fixation on debating whether including trans-women in elite sport is ‘fair’ is a diversion from the real challenges all women footballers face – for secure contracts, equitable working conditions, and adequate pay. It is also creating a hostile environment that compromises the safety and enjoyment of football for transgender supporters, across the men’s and women’s games, and hinders progress in building inclusive grassroots leagues. The Women’s Game Network asks the FSA to make an urgent public statement of solidarity with all transgender footballers and supporters, including non-binary and gender non-forming people, and
especially Trans-women and trans feminine people, who are the target of heightened discrimination at this time. We wish to do so to clearly communicate our values to the football community, nationally and internationally.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion 2: Participation of young people

We ask that the FSA commit to exploring the optimum path to develop and sustain greater
participation and representation of young people in the organisation. In addition, we ask that the FSA explore the best method to support its member supporter organisations and community-owned football clubs in also developing and sustaining greater participation and representation of young people within their structures.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion 3: Cryptocurrency in football

Many football clubs are entering into partnerships with cryptocurrency providers, including those with product offerings that encourage fans to purchase cryptocurrency backed tokens that provide so called ‘engagement opportunities’ with their clubs.

It is further noted that cryptocurrencies are a high-risk investment product not currently regulated in the UK.

This motion calls on the FSA is to develop a plan of action to address the proliferation of these schemes across football that includes the following activity:

• Engagement with the Football Association, Premier League and Football League to work collectively on the introduction of common self-regulatory standards for any cryptocurrency partnership entered into by a football club, and to;
• Develop an information awareness campaign for football fans advising them of the risks to their capital of investing in cryptocurrencies
• Lobbying activity to the Government (DCMS and Treasury) to call for the introduction of statutory regulation of cryptocurrency *as it relates to football
• Calls upon football clubs that do have partnerships to with cryptocurrency partners to ensure that they undertake due diligence before entering into those arrangements and to meet with the Supporters’ Trusts and fans groups to discuss all marketing and promotional activity before it us undertaken to ensure high levels of consumer protection.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously with *amended wording.

Motion 4: Merger of Football Supporters Europe & Supporters Direct Europe

The FSA resolves to support the SD Europe Board recommendation for a merger between Supporters Direct Europe and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) as the best and most effective way forward for supporters’ organisations in Europe.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Elections

At the AGM, the election for the organisation’s vice-chair was concluded – previous incumbent Tom Greatrex was elected unopposed to serve as vice chair until AGM 2025.

Additionally, there were multiple vacancies on the FSA’s National Council that were filled via elections:

Associate Member

• Thomas Concannon (Wor Flags) – until AGM 2025

Individual members

• Christine Seddon – until AGM 2025
• Jamie Dapaah – until AGM 2025
• Nigel Davidson – until AGM 2024

Network Elections

The following were elected to the National Council via their respective networks to serve until AGM 2025:

• Sachin Patel (Spurs Reach) – Fans For Diversity Network
• Jude Morris-King (Manchester City WFC Supporters Club) – Women’s Game Network
• Neil Le Milliere (Exeter City) – Community-owned Club Network
• Steve Moulds (Foxes Trust) – Premier League Network
• Tony Wilkinson (Blackpool Supporters’ Trust) – EFL Championship Network
• Heather Alderson (Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust) – EFL League One & League Two Network
• Sarah Stelling (York City Supporters’ Trust) – National Game Network

And the following supporter representatives were elected to serve until AGM 2023:

• Nilesh Chauhan (Villans Together ) – Fans For Diversity Network
• Roger Titford (STAR: Supporters Trust at Reading) – EFL Championship Network
• Richard Tomkins (Hereford United Supporters’ Trust) – National Game Network

We’d like to place on record our congratulations to those elected and our thanks to all those who stood for election.

• Read more: all of the original 2022 AGM materials can be found here…