Round-up: FSA AGM 2026

Posted on 8th June 2026

Football supporters from across the country and all levels of the game gathered together in central London on Saturday 6th June for the FSA’s 2026 AGM.

At King’s College London’s Bush House, supporters discussed the organisation’s work and campaigns throughout the year, as well as proposing new policies on a range of issues impacting match-going fans.

Summary

Minutes from the July 2025 AGM held at Manchester Metropolitan University were accepted by delegates.

Resolutions to receive and adopt the Annual Review and financial statements for the year ending 31st December 2025 were passed unanimously. Conference also passed resolutions for the appointment of auditors.

Motions

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

Motion one – Consultation on changes to competition Structure

Proposer: Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust
Seconder: Millwall Supporters Club

Background: The intent of the motion is to give the FSA greater support via a mandate to campaign for consultation on any future proposals such as the recent changes to the Championship Playoffs format. It is future proofed against eventualities by referring to ‘competition organisers’ rather than just the EFL.
Motion: As part of its continuing commitment to sporting integrity, the FSA resolves to seek agreement from the Competition Organisers (i.e EFL, PL, WSL, NL etc) that they will direct their clubs to consult fans prior to votes on changes to the structure of the season and the mechanisms for promotion and relegation.

National Council comment on Motion one:

support this motion as a practical and proportionate step towards strengthening meaningful supporter engagement in the overall governance of the game. Structural changes to competitions have far reaching consequences for clubs, supporters and the wider pyramid. Ensuring fans are properly consulted prior to such decisions reinforces the principles of transparency, accountability and sporting integrity and helps embed good governance practices across the game.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion two – Fully commit to sustaining and further integrating the existing FFD/FSA LGBTQ+ Hub as a core, ongoing stream of work within the Fans for Diversity campaign

Proposer: James Laley (Rainbow Blades)
Seconder: Darren Yates (Rainbow Spireites)

Background: The FSA/FFD LGBTQ+ Hub was established in September 2025 with its first official meeting in November 2025. Since then, it has had a second meeting in March 2026.

They are around 50 LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups with many having already connected and interacted with the hub and a growing number now official FSA members, which form part of the Fans for Diversity (FFD) membership.

The hub has quickly become an important part of the Fans for Diversity campaign, ensuring LGBTQ+ supporters are represented within wider FSA activity. The hub has already begun developing documentation and action planning, and external organisations have begun engaging with it as a representative voice for LGBTQ+ football supporters.

Motion: We now believe the time is right to fully commit to sustaining and further integrating the existing FFD/FSA LGBTQ+ Hub as a core, ongoing stream of work within the Fans for Diversity campaign, ensuring its continued growth and impact.

Actions:

The FSA will commit to sustaining and expanding the work of the existing FSA/FFD LGBTQ+ Hub.
Continue to engage LGBTQ+ fan groups, FFD campaign, and other stakeholders and partners to strengthen the hub.
Publish a 2026/27 strategy and action plan.
Organise an in-person gathering of LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups in October 2026.

Support LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups to develop strong, sustainable organisations, while assisting the formation of new groups where needed.

National Council comment on Motion two:

We support this motion and recognise the significant progress made by the FSA/FFD LGBTQ+ Hub. Formalising the Hub as an integrated workstream within Fans for Diversity will provide stability and enable long-term planning to ensure that the LGBTQ+ supporters’ voices continue to be embedded within the FSA’s wider activity and decision-making processes.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion three – Inconsistencies in FA rules regarding abandoned games

Proposer: Scunthorpe United Supporters Society
Seconded by: Rob Bradley (Red Imps Community Trust)

Background: On 6th September 2025 the game between Scunthorpe United and Wealdstone was abandoned in the declared added time. The referee made this decision when the Wealdstone’s players and officials left the field and refused to return due to a non-serious injury to one of their players.

The NL declared that SUFC be awarded 3 points and the result would be recorded as 0-0. This deemed scoreline does not follow precedent set in other English Leagues nor international precedent (e.g Morocco v Senegal plus many more).

The 0-0 result compromises the sporting integrity of the National League; it rewards the offending team to the detriment of all other NL teams.

It creates an incentive for a team losing heavily to abandon the game, forfeit the 3 points but not suffer the negative goal difference.

The NL rule that all yellow and red cards that are handed out in the abandoned game remain although perversely the game does not count towards any players serving suspension. In the National League, abandoned games follow the standard FA rules with regards to points awarded and recorded result.

We believe these rules contain a number of inconsistencies especially with regard to recorded score and the treatment of cards and suspensions in these matches, which leave clubs at this level at a disadvantage.

Motion: The FSA recognises the concerns around rule inconsistencies regarding abandoned games and agrees that they warrant formal consideration and engagement with the Football Association.

Actions:

To raise the issue with the FA via structured dialogue and encourage them to review the rules on abandoned games and address the inconsistencies in these rules.

National Council comment on Motion #3:

We support this motion and recognise the legitimate concerns raised regarding inconsistencies in the application of rules governing abandoned matches. Situations of this nature have clear implications for sporting integrity, competitive balance, and supporter confidence in the fairness of competition outcomes. We believe this motion represents a constructive step towards addressing an important governance issue and supports the call for formal dialogue and review.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion four – Encouraging sustainable financial models in English football

Proposer: Daniel Sharples
Seconder: Chester FC

Background: The Independent Football Regulator recently announced that as part of its licensing regime, clubs must hold appropriate financial resources to meet their financial commitments and withstand stresses such as relegation, withdrawal of owner funding or other income shocks.

More and more clubs across the English football pyramid are operating with persistent financial losses or relying heavily on owner subsidies to remain competitive, with those in non-league often particularly reliant on external funding.

With the introduction of stricter licensing regimes for tiers 1-5, clubs further down the pyramid may become more attractive for the unsustainable investment models that the regimes are seeking to address.

This leaves those clubs and their fans more vulnerable to financial shocks and creates a regulatory cliff edge for those approaching tier 5.

Motion: The Football Supporters’ Association therefore calls upon the National League and other governing bodies below tier 5 to introduce governance procedures that look to mirror those set out by the Independent Football Regulator insofar as is possible, to encourage financial sustainability and help better prepare clubs to meet the regulatory requirements should they be promoted into tier 5, or the remit of the IFR be extended.

National Council comment on Motion #4:

We support this motion and recognise the importance of financial sustainability across all levels of the football pyramid. Encouraging the National League and other bodies below tier 5 to adopt proportionate governance measures aligned with the Regulator’s approach is in line with work already being done within the FSA to ensure clubs are “regulator ready” which will help promote greater financial resilience, support better long-term planning, and ensure that clubs are more prepared for progression within the pyramid.

Vote – Motion carried unanimously

Motion five – Food Allergies and Intolerances

Proposer: Tim Hillyer
Seconder: Dan Crawford

Background: The Patterns and Prevalence of Adult Food Allergy (PAFA) report dated 16 May 2024 published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) a large study into the prevalence of food allergies in the adult population in the UK found that more than 30% of adults reported some types of adverse reactions when eating food – meaning they had an illness or trouble when eating a particular food. When this was investigated further through a clinical assessment, it was found that around 6% of the UK adult population are estimated to have a clinically confirmed food allergy. This equates to around 2.4 million adults in the UK.

The Food Standard Agency (FSA) publishes ‘allergen guidance for food businesses’ detailing the 14 recognised allergens which are crucial for food labeling and safety, as they can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Catering outlets at football stadiums in England and Wales at all levels serve food drink to 00s and 000s of supporters in limited time intervals pre-match and at half-time

It is rare to see allergy and /or food intolerance information displayed on menus, signboards and tariff lists at outlets.

Most outlets display notices inviting customers to ask for information about ingredients of products relating to allergies and food intolerances.

There are obvious problems obtaining allergy and food intolerance information during such intense trading periods.

There can be surprising ingredients in common products such as milk in brioche rolls; celery in Bovril foil sealed cups; and celery in Heinz tomato ketchup.

Motion: The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) believes that the 14 recognised food allergens be clearly identified as ingredients at the catering outlets and hospitality areas of football stadiums on signage and menus and staff/volunteers trained appropriately.

Actions:

The FSA AGM mandates officers, National Council members, affiliates and associates to contact leagues and clubs and encourage them to fulfil their legal obligations to:

Educate and train catering and hospitality staff in allergy and food intolerance awareness and legal responsibilities
Include pop up outlets and food courts as well as stadium owned catering and hospitality outlets
Ensure that menus, display boards and tariffs include clear details of allergens included in all food and drink products
Maintain and update signage, tariffs and menus when ingredients of products change or new items are added to the range
Ask clubs to consider asking their medical professionals and first aiders to include epipens in their medical kits to deal with potential cases of anaphylaxis and to organise appropriate training.

National Council comment on Motion #5:

We support this motion and recognise the importance of improving accessibility and safety for supporters with food allergies and intolerances. The evidence demonstrating the prevalence of food allergies across the adult population underlines the scale of the issue and the need for clear, consistent, and readily accessible information within football stadiums.

The actions outlined in this motion are proportionate and aligned with existing legal obligations, while also promoting best practice across all levels of the game. In particular, the emphasis on staff training, inclusion of all catering outlets, and maintaining up-to-date information reflects a comprehensive approach to safeguarding supporters.

Vote – motion carried unanimously

Motion six – A level legal playing field for football fans

Proposer: WHUST
Seconder: Wolves 1877 Trust

Background: Entering a football stadium without a ticket has been made a criminal offence. Entering other stadia – or the same stadia for a non-footballing event – will not be a criminal offence. This adds to a litany of other discriminatory actions against football supporters. These include, but are not limited to:

Specific restrictions that only apply to football fans;
Lower levels of evidence required for football banning orders, with no legal aid provided to defend the charges;
Sentencing guidelines that instruct the courts to implement higher penalties for offences at a football match than for exactly the same offence at a different sport or entertainment event (even if held in the very same stadium).

The Home Office publishes misleading statistics on offences by football fans. The most recent report says there were 1,932 football-related arrests during the 2024 to 2025 domestic football season (11% decrease on the previous season). It reports this as 4.2 arrests per 100,000 attendees.

Royal Ascot in 2025 had 15 arrests out of 286,541 attendees giving it an arrest rate of 5.2 per 100,000. In 2024 there were 54 arrests with 273,526 attending. While this was reported as just 0.2% of the 273,526 who attended, using the same reporting method as football it gives a rate of 19.7 per 100,000.

The Home Office reports just raw numbers of arrests for individual clubs. This always makes the clubs with the most fans and the most matches (successful domestic and/or European cup runs) have the highest numbers, when their per 100,000 figure might be much lower than smaller clubs with lower attendance figures. This again skews the impression given.

The Home Office reports that its 4.4 per 100,000 figure is based on more than 46 million football fans attending matches. The tiny total arrest figure of 1,932 is too small to be shown as a percentage, in the way the Royal Ascot figures are presented.

The reporting of data distorts the picture and allows politicians to pass laws against football fans when the real numbers prove there is no worse behaviour among the vast majority of football fans than any other groups of the population. In fact, it is often better and is improving.

Motion:

The FSA:

Notes with concern the growing list of rules, regulations, laws and guidance that treat football fans differently from the general public as a whole.
Notes that the reporting of arrests statistics is inconsistent and skews policy-making against football fans.
Believes there must be a level playing field, with one law for all, applied equally regardless of location or activity, with decision-making based on indisputable evidence.
Believes arrest statistics for all sports and leisure activities must be reported in a consistent manner, either as per 100,000 or as a percentage of all attendees.

Actions:

The FSA will:

Work with the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and other government departments as appropriate to ensure no new legislation against football fans and seek that all prejudicial practices are repealed.
Work with the Police, the Home Office, the National Statistician, the Government Statistical Service, the Office for National Statistics, and the Royal Statistical Society, to ensure all sports and leisure activities are reported in a consistent manner.
Continue to use the FA and FSA Structured Dialogue process as a forum to raise these matters and advocate for fair treatment of fans, as was the case in successive meetings with the FA around tailgating legislation.
Engage with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters to gain political support for these issues.
Encourage football fans to lobby their MPs to support the necessary changes.

National Council comment on Motion #6:

The FSA, and its predecessor organisations, have long campaigned against discriminatory treatment of football supporters in legislation and in policing and reporting practices. Most recently, as the motion acknowledges, in relation to the tailgating legislation introduced following the men’s Euro 2020 tournament. The National Council is therefore sympathetic to the sentiment behind the motion, and FSA policy is to oppose introduction of legislation that singles out football supporters.
However, the motion commits the FSA to campaign for the repeal of ‘all prejudicial practices’, meaning the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act (1985), the Football Spectators’ Act (1989), the Football (Disorder) Act 2000, and arguably the Football Governance Act (2025), which gives powers to football supporters denied to fans of other sports. This would put the organisation in the untenable position of effectively campaigning for the legalisation of pitch incursions, throwing missiles inside a stadium, ticket touting, racist and discriminatory chanting, pyrotechnics, and the scrapping of all banning orders.The National Council therefore requests that the proposer of the motion remits it to the National Council, so that the sentiment behind the motion is not lost and the Council can develop an approach to working on issues included in the motion.

Vote – Motion was remitted to the National Council

Motion seven – Equal status for fan reps on local authority football Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs)

Proposer: WHUST
Seconder: Chelsea Supporters Club

Background: The Hillsborough report recommended football fan reps be part of the local council SAGs. The Sports Ground Safety Authority recommends that too (but with caveats). The safety of fans is paramount. However, many SAGs wilfully exclude fans or give the football club the authority to exclude fans. Where fans are permitted, they are sometimes treated as second class citizens and denied access to vital information and excluded from important safety discussions. This is the difference between fan reps being “invited representatives” rather than full members.

After 10 years of being refused a place on Newham council’s SAG, West Ham fans do now have a rep invited to attend for a special part of the meeting where issues raised by fans are discussed. The fan rep is then excluded from the rest of the meeting where other issues that affect fans are discussed. Fans are excluded from all working groups, including those on safe standing, for example.

In anticipation of achieving full SAG membership, two board members of the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust attended the SGSA training course in stadium safety and the Trust has attended the SGSA conference. However, under a deal negotiated by the FSA, the club was given control over who can attend. So, the club refuses to let either of those trained fans be the fan rep. The club can also control what issues fans raise.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s SAG includes fan reps from both Fulham and QPR but allows Chelsea football club to dictate that no Chelsea fan reps can attend.

The SGSA advice is that fans may be excluded from certain discussions, such as terrorism. The FSA has, so far, accepted these kinds of exclusions. In London, the very same West Ham and Chelsea fan groups that are denied access to their SAGs join others on the Metropolitan Police Independent Advisory Group for football where they receive briefings from the head of counter-terrorism. They sign the Official Secrets Act and always respect confidential information. It makes no sense for the very same individuals and fan groups to be excluded from the same information at their local SAG.

The time has come to step up and demand equal treatment on SAGs for football fans reps, making them full members of their local SAG. There should be no special treatment, no additional restrictions and no specific exclusions. Crucially, the clubs should have no say, no control, no veto and no influence over who the fans can choose to send and what they can discuss. SAGs should have one set of rules applied equally to all, including fan groups.

Motion:

The FSA will campaign for the local council Safety Advisory Group (SAG) for every football club to include recognised fan group representatives as full members. The fan reps must have equal rights and status as any other SAG members, with the same access to documents and with no additional restrictions or controls from the club or any other group.
The fan reps must not be excluded from certain parts of the agenda or subject to any more onerous confidentiality agreements or other restrictions than any other members of the SAG.
The FSA will work with all relevant parties, such as the Sports Ground Safety Authority, to ensure this is clearly communicated and any existing advice to the contrary is updated to promote this as best practice.
If necessary, the FSA will campaign for the law to be changed to reflect this.

National Council comment on Motion #7:

We recognise the importance of and support having a fan representative on local Safety Advisory Groups.

For the sake of accuracy, the FSA worked with SGSA to encourage the local authority to include a supporter representative on the Newham SAG for the London Stadium, however we did not negotiate a deal that gave the club a say over who attended.

We recognise that there may sometimes be topics which it would be inappropriate for some of the SAG members to attend, such as terrorist threats. This is not a reflection of the members involved, but an understanding of the complex technical nature of some of the discussion. For clarity, the Met Police IAG has received a general briefing about counter-terrorism, however the group has never received information about specific terrorist threats which would be the case at a SAG.

The National Council therefore requests that the proposer of the motion remits it to the National Council, so that the FSA can continue to advocate for the strengthening of appropriate supporter representation within SAG structures.

Vote – motion remitted to the National Council

Elections

National Council: Network elections

The following were elected to the FSA National Council for three year terms by their respective networks (unless otherwise stated):

Community-owned clubs network:
Andrew Madaras (Dunstable Town FC)

EFL Championship network:
Stuart Rogers (Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust)

EFL League One & League Two network:
Nic Brown (Newport Country Supporters Trust), Gina Health (Cambridge Fans United)

Fans For Diversity network:
Sachin Patel (SpursREACH)

National Game network:
Richard Tomkins (Hereford United Supporters Trust)

Premier League network:
Joe Blott (Spirit of Shankly)

Women’s Game network:
Sian Wallis (Proud Lilywhites)

National Council: Individual members
Kat Law and Lee Pearce were both elected for a three-year term and Ally Simcock was elected for a one-year term.