What’s an SLO or a DAO we hear many ask? SLO stands for supporter liaison officer and DAO is disability access officer. Neither are especially new roles within football but neither roles are as well known amongst fans as we would like, so we are committed to raising their profile.
The best SLOs and DAOs can make a difference to your matchday.
A good SLO can build bridges between the club and its fans and its more art form than science. They can help facilitate fan engagement structures, advocate for the fans’ voice within a club, and liaise with stewards, police, and counterparts at opposition clubs.
They are a point of contact for supporters both home and away and can be club employees or volunteers – some clubs even have a mixture of both. We believe they should be active and available on matchdays.
In July 2015 UEFA said clubs who wished to compete in their competitions must appoint a disability access officer (DAO) to support the provision of inclusive, accessible facilities and services. DAOs are responsible for supporting and advising their club in relation to improving access and inclusion for disabled supporters, employees, volunteers and players.
In the coming months we’ll develop this section of the FSA website with FAQs and case studies so fans better understand the roles and supporters’ groups have resources which they can take to their clubs. If you know of examples of good practice and your club relating to SLOs or DAOs we’d love to hear from you.
Resources:
Contacts:
If you search for supporter liaison officer or disability access officer plus the name of the relevant club you should be able to find the person you need. If you are having serious trouble finding the contact you need let us know and we will try and find that information for you.
We do try and maintain an accurate SLO contact list but it is a constantly moving target as people change roles, but we hope the below information is useful. If you notice an error please let us know via [email protected]
- Arsenal – Mark Brindle
- Aston Villa – Lee Preece
- Bournemouth – Elizabeth Finney
- Brighton and Hove Albion – Sarah Gould
- Brentford – Jon Burr / Sally Stephens
- Chelsea – Cat Smith
- Crystal Palace – Nikki Gibbons
- Everton – Christine Prior
- Fulham – Nicola Walworth
- Leeds United – Diane Ingleby
- Leicester City – Jim Donnelly
- Liverpool – LFC SLO
- Manchester City – Lisa Eaton
- Manchester United – Michael Leneghan
- Newcastle United – Lee Marshall
- Nottingham Forest – William D’Hooghe
- Southampton – Aaron Heskins
- Tottenham Hotspur – Levi Harris
- West Ham United – Jake Heath
- Wolverhampton Wanderers – Mason McEnery
- Arsenal – Alun Francis
- Aston Villa – Matt Norris
- AFC Bournemouth – Alice Jeans
- Brighton and Hove Albion – Millie Crowhurst
- Burnley – Doug Metcalf
- Chelsea – Cat Smith
- Crystal Palace – Guy Wickett
- Everton – Rachael Lomax
- Leicester City – Jim Donnelly
- Liverpool – Simon Thornton
- Manchester City – Jon Dyster
- Manchester United – Rishi Jain
- Newcastle United – Lucy Oliver
- Norwich City – Stephen Graham
- Sheffield United – Kay Adkins
- Southampton – Helen Goosey
- Tottenham Hotspur – Oliver Riley
- Watford – Dave Messenger
- West Ham United – Julie Pidgeon
- Wolverhampton Wanderers – Laura Wright
EFL fans are advised to check on a club-by-club basis – contact the relevant SLO.
