In our update of the 31 May we advised you of members joining our five subgroups to increase the capabilities and the work we can perform within those groups.
Yesterday, a meeting took place to provide the new subgroup members with the current issues and challenges the groups are dealing with and to hear more about the diverse range of skills and experience the new volunteers bring – from football club operations, to finance, to communications, to running membership organisations and much more.
Communications – Members have told us they want more regular updates regarding the Trust’s progress in engaging with our football club, other Leicester City fan groups, the wider fan fraternity, the influence we have through the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and with the football authorities.
Our newly increased resources will help us meet this communications demand, not just for our members, but for the whole Leicester City fan base, by increasing our engagement through social media platforms and other channels to reach across the spectrum of Leicester City Supporters.
Membership – This has almost doubled in recent months, but we still want to grow the membership to ensure that we represent the full scope of fans views and needs. We will be exploring how we can do this better.
The influx of new members has already made the trust a more diverse organisation in culture, needs and views. Harnessing this diversity will enable us to be more representative of the full breadth of the fan base when engaging with the club
Engagement – Our engagement group is responsible for the direct contact with the football club, Leicester City fan groups, supporters’ bodies such as the FSA, and engagement with politicians who will have influence over football matters – such as the Football Governance Bill (see below for more information).
We have challenges in many areas. We need to build a relationship with the new LCFC Head of Fan Engagement and ensure that the new Fan Advisory Board is truly representative, influential and makes a positive difference for fans.
We previously had a representative on the FSA national council when we were last in the Premier League, giving us direct influence in discussions with the Premier League. We need to see whether we can regain that position on the council.
The Women’s Game – Despite the Leicester City Women making gradual progress in the top flight of the women’s game, we feel the club could do more to grow the fan base which is still lagging well behind some of the top sides in the league.
We will continue to engage with the club to encourage growth of the supporter base, of marketing the side better, and grasping the opportunity to encourage more children to play and watch the game. We also want to ensure the women’s game finances are properly controlled.
Finance – Problems with Financial Fair Play/Profit and Sustainability Regulations are looming over our football club.
At the Foxes Trust AGM concerns were expressed that the club seemed to have drifted into this position over recent seasons, seemingly with no one waving red flags until January 2024.
Within this Trust subgroup we now have people with both accountancy skills and knowledge of football finance. Our aim is to understand better our club’s financial position, the protections and projections in place, and whether we can offer assistance in steering a path that will lessen the financial concerns and reduce any potential points deduction.
Key Issues – We will let you know more shortly about the key issues we’re pursuing with the club, including the latest position regarding the £25 charge for a season ticket card. Time is running out to purchase a card – see here – https://foxestrust.co.uk/11309/dont-want-a-digital-season-ticket-time-is-running-out
Read more about the new members joining the subgroup in the Update published on 31 May – https://foxestrust.co.uk/11290/members-update-may-31st
Read about the Football Governance Bill – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/historic-football-governance-bill-introduced-in-parliament