Posted on 16th August 2017
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
FSF National Council member Ian Todd pays tribute to the late Tony Kershaw who recently passed away…
The FSF has been saddened to learn of the death of Tony Kershaw who was for many years a resolute campaigner for the rights of supporters, and their collaboration and social partnerships across partisan club boundaries.
A Leicester City supporter and prominent member of its Loughborough-based supporters’ club, with which his daughter Louise is still involved, Tony was for many years a council member of one of the FSF’s founding partners, the National Federation of Football Supporters’ Clubs (NFFSC) into which, in the late 1970’s he introduced an innovative insurance scheme covering affiliated members for personal injury whilst attending games and for reimbursement of coach hire costs when games were called off at short notice.
After a period as Vice-Chairman, Tony was elected Chairman of NFFSC in 1986 a position he held until 1998, a period during which supporter organisations had battled against the introduction of ID cards, become involved in fixtures planning, opened a dialogue with the Football Licensing Authority as well as submitting evidence to the judicial enquiries into the Bradford and Hillsborough disasters.
His final contribution was as a member of the Government’s Football Task Force.
Younger members of today’s supporter movement will not have known Tony but they have a lot to be thankful for in the groundwork which was laid by such as he during the last quarter of the 20th Century.
We join the many who knew him both in football and his other passion, local politics, in sending our condolences to his family and many friends.
Thanks to James Boyes for the image used in this article. Reproduced here under Creative Commons license.
Nadine Dorries, the new secretary of state for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, held an online meeting with a delegation from the Football Supporters’ Association on Wednesday (22nd September) to discuss the on-going Fan-Led Review (FLR) of Football Governance. She was joined by sports minister Nigel Huddleston.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first national supporter organisation emerging in England & Wales.
Football Supporters’ Association vice chair Tom Greatrex says that Chelsea’s ownership change offers a unique opportunity for supporter equity at a top-flight club…
Supporters’ groups from the FSA’s Premier League Network met last night and were unanimous in their opposition to UEFA’s proposed Champions League changes that will entrench the richest clubs, damage the English football pyramid and rip off fans. The FSA supports their stance.
