Three supporters will be present at Chelsea board meetings from 1 July, the club reports on its own website on Tuesday evening. In this way, Chelsea hopes to be able to factor ‘overall supporter sentiment’ into decision-making. The announcement follows deep supporters’ dissatisfaction with Chelsea’s intended entry into the ultimately failed Super League.
The supporters are chosen according to an ‘election and selection procedure’, Chelsea writes. The exact procedure will first be submitted to the Fans’ Forum, a Chelsea-affiliated body where supporters and club members are represented. Unofficial supporters associations are also asked for their opinion. The most important criterion is that the chosen supporters are ‘representative of our entire constituency’ and that the group is ‘inclusive and diverse’. Chelsea will announce additional details to supporters in the coming days.
The supporters who are ultimately selected will have to sign a nondisclosure agreement, just like the directors. “This allows the club to discuss a wide range of topics and seek advice on them,” said Chelsea. The group of three fans will not have the right to vote and will not be involved in conversations pertaining to players, the coaching staff, the youth academy and ‘related topics’.
The fans will attend about four meetings a year and ‘more if appropriate’. If they show up for the talks for a year, they can choose a charity to which Chelsea will donate £ 2,500, or £ 2,891. The Blues will no doubt hope to take a step towards reestablishing ties with supporters. Two weeks ago, hundreds of angry fans gathered at Stamford Bridge ahead of the Brighton & Hove Albion duel to demonstrate against the Super League.
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