Notes from the December meeting with FFC

20th December 2024

On Wednesday 11 December at 13.30, the Fulham Supporters’ Trust (FST) met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

• Alistair Mackintosh (Chief Executive, AM)
• Darren Preston (Chief Operating Officer, DP)
• Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director, CM)
• Jack Burrows (Marketing Director, JB)
• Katy Brecht (Head of Ticketing, KB)
• Jamie Nicholson (Head of Fan Engagement, JN)
• Nicola Walworth (Supporter Liaison Manager & Disability Liaison Officer, NW)

The FST was represented by:

• Simon Duke (Chair, SD)
• Jerry Cope (Treasurer & Membership Secretary, JC)
• Steve Nicholson (Secretary, SN)
• Hayley Davinson (Board member, HD)

HOW IT WORKS

At our regular monthly meetings, Trust board members normally ask questions relating to as many topics as possible in the time available, based on responses from members to the advance notification of the meeting and our own observations from interacting with the wider supporter base. The Club then gives its position, which is discussed. These notes are therefore a statement of both points of view. The Trust continues to press both the Board’s and its members’ view at this meeting and in separate meetings.

Often members ask similar questions, and, in these cases, we try to summarise, provide the Club with feedback and gain as much useful information as possible in the time available. We also prioritise new and time-critical topics, whilst also seeking updates on longer running issues. 

You can access notes of all previous meetings on our web site, including the most recent information on key topics not covered at this meeting.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

Items focussed on at this November meeting were:

• Chelsea Ticket Sales Process
• Wolves and Arsenal Matches
• Ticketing
• Ground
• Other Business

OPENING DISCUSSION

SD opened the meeting by informing the Club that HD had, following the annual election cycle, been appointed Vice Chair of the Trust, with Ian Clarke stepping down from the Trust Board, and being replaced by Dan Crawford. Ian’s expertise would however still be available to the Trust, and he would remain one of the Trust’s representatives on the IAG. The Club congratulated HD on her appointment, and thanked Ian for all his work over many years.

CHELSEA TICKET SALES PROCESS

SD relayed the anger and frustration of many supporters about the surprise policy not to use Loyalty Points to allocate away games for what was arguably to supporters the biggest away fixture of the year, at Chelsea on Boxing Day, a very popular day for going to a football match. He asked whether, in the light of difficulties experienced even accessing the website or the phone-lines on the morning of ticket release, with a subsequent failure of many very regular away supporters to secure a ticket, the Club were happy, in hindsight, with their approach.

AM responded that the Club were happy with their approach. Dispensing with loyalty points for this game had given an opportunity for a wider range of supporters to attend this game, not just those with high loyalty points. This did not necessarily mean that Loyalty Points would be discarded for all future games – a decision would be made on a game-by-game basis, but he did think, that the FAB with both the Trust and DSA represented, should discuss with the Club how to evolve the Loyalty Points system. He added that the Club intended to show the game on TV at the Cottage for those unable to get tickets due to the unprecedented high demand.

SD reminded the Club that following a similar situation with the Boxing Day fixture with Crystal Palace in 2022, himself and Ian Clarke had met with the Club, and been assured that the situation would not repeat itself. He also asked why Chelsea tickets had not been put on sale or notified earlier at least to give people, eg with work commitments, the opportunity to make themselves available that morning. Research by the Trust had found that recent Chelsea home games against Arsenal, Villa and Forest had been put on sale, respectively, 33, 31 and 27 days before the relevant fixture, but Fulham had only allowed 20 days. The West Ham game on sale today had less than 24 hours’ notice.

AM thought that Crystal Palace game was not analogous, as 2 tickets per season ticket had been allowed, against 1 only this time. KB added that one of the issues in people, including ticket office staff, accessing tickets is the 15 minutes allowance for supporters to complete transactions and pass eligibility checks for the number of tickets requested. Tickets were put back on sale if the transactions were not completed in time.

KB said ticket information for Chelsea was published on the website 48 hours before going on sale. KB added that it was not, in the Club’s view, appropriate to make public conversations between Fulham and Chelsea over the timing of the start of sales. In terms of access to the phone lines current Fulham policy was if there was likely to be a long wait, it was better for callers to be told to ring back later, rather than wait in a very long queue, which might not be practical for some supporters.

SD re-iterated that there was considerable anger among many loyal supporters about what had happened, without any warning. He welcomed the need to review the Loyalty Point system, with the involvement of the Trust, to allow recent supporters more access to away tickets and reminded the Club that the Trust had presented a paper on this subject. The Trust was however concerned that this should not be done in a piecemeal way, but with a fully thought-through new approach, in full consultation with supporter groups. He was also aware of a dual system recently introduced by Reading as one option worth considering.

WOLVES & ARSENAL MATCHES

SD said that there had been issues with visible away-fans in home areas against Arsenal, and he knew the Club had been sent details of a particular incident where the stewards felt unable to take action. It was good that this would be followed up with potential action against any Fulham Season Ticket Holders or Members who had purchased the particular tickets, but the Trust remained concerned that there could be a serious incident one day. (The Trust asks all supporters to let the Club know where noticeable away supporters are sitting in home areas, particularly giving seat numbers so this can be followed up)

DP replied that reports following the Arsenal game of this issue, had not increased, and that where detailed seat numbers particularly had been given to the Club, these were followed up vigorously with ticket-purchasers, and where appropriate bans issued. It was however particularly difficult to undertake pre-event checks for games against other London Clubs where postcode clues were much less relevant, balanced against Fulham’s need to encourage the expansion of its fan base. He reminded the Trust that a balance had also to be struck between taking action during the match, which was potentially very disruptive, versus taking action after the game.

SN asked why there had seemed to be particular issues gaining access to the ground against Wolves, with heavy congestion reported in some areas, perhaps because of digital season tickets not up-dating. DP and KB agreed that there did seem to have been more such digital issues with Wolves on iPhones, with some supporters thinking that deleting their ticket was the right approach (which was not the best way forward) rather than using the fix set out on the Club website, which worked in nearly all cases.

TICKETING

SN continued by asking whether the Club knew why some phones were not up-dating matches consistently. DP responded that they had met with their technology supplier for this area and the situation seemed a bit better for the Arsenal game, albeit not for everyone. The supplier was working to improve the situation, and the Club would continue in the meantime to communicate with supporters before every home match how to fix this issue, which was frustrating to all concerned. It was critical that such action was taken well before the match, not as approaching the turnstiles.

SN then asked whether the Club would consider the Brentford initiative capping the price of entry for young away supporters at £10 and a freeze on prices for next season. AM responded that they had only recently become aware of the Brentford approach and the Club were, as always, considering their future ticketing plans – the timing of pricing proposals for next season would depend on when the Club were certain as to the League in which the first team would be playing, and he did not want to tempt fate even after the good start to the season!

In response to a further question from SN, AM said that pricing for the Watford game was close to agreement with the away club and would be published soon (now done). Prices would be lower.

The Trust asked about arrangements for free tickets for some local residents eg the Brighton game. DP replied that two games close together, both on TV with consequential crews and lorries, had been particularly disruptive for some residents and the Club thought it appropriate to offer this small token of appreciation for their tolerance, for the Brighton game. The Trust supported this initiative for residents, who had also had to put up with disruption from the construction of the new stand.

GROUND

SD asked whether the Club had noticed that standing in the aisles seemed to have returned in the Hammersmith End. DP agreed to follow this up.

In response to further question from the Trust, DP said that unfortunately there had been a power failure in the bars in the Hammersmith End on the day of the Brighton match, despite testing the day before. This had caused the shutting of some bars. DP also accepted that there had been problems with the tannoy, which had been rectified at half-time.

Again in response to a question from a Trust Member, DP confirmed that bitter was now available in the Riverside stand, and they were continuing to look at beer choices. In response to a further question from the Trust, DP said it was not currently practical to expand the range of specialist food, eg for Coeliac diets, because of very limited demand, but this is kept under review.

AOB

In response to a series of questions and suggestions from HD, based on emails from Trust Members:

• AM agreed to consider the selling of a, perhaps transparent, bag of the right size at the Club shop to speed up entry to the ground for those who needed to carry small bags;
• AM and DP confirmed that the Club follow up vigorously unauthorised use of the Club’s intellectual property;
• Although a museum might not be possible in the Riverside stand because of space constraints, the Club continued to consider how to display its heritage – for instance the Cottage tours continued to get very positive reviews;
• The Club were considering whether to mark the 10-years’ service of both Tim Ream and Tom Cairney, perhaps in a way that helped a charity of their choice, but they had to wary of such an event, without significant pricing, losing money;
• The Club were considering how to mount further special collection opportunities following the recent successful food-bank initiative, organised by the Lillies and endorsed by the Trust; this could include (say) a special hygiene related ‘foodbank’;

The meeting closed at 1430.