LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2009: Liverpool supporters on the Spion Kop before the Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. (Photo by: David Tickle/Propaganda)

LFC Supporters’ Committee Q&A

As part of our look at the progress of the Liverpool FC Supporters Committee, two years after it was founded, we publish the full responses to the questions we asked.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2009: Liverpool supporters on the Spion Kop before the Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. (Photo by: David Tickle/Propaganda)

Read our article here

Robert Humphries

Chair / Season Tickets Representative

What made you apply for a place on committee?

Over many years I have been unhappy with the way the Club has become more of a business, distancing themselves from the supporters whose loyalty and devotion was being exploited. This was an opportunity to influence the decision makers at the Club and one I couldn’t resist.

Can you describe how that first meeting went on 13 August 2011?

The first meeting was a new experience for us all, 18 individuals who had only met the previous evening for the first time and Club Officials nervously wondering what we would be like. This was all a bit surreal with John Henry, Tom Werner and Ian Ayre all in attendance and me sitting there wanting to ask them a thousand questions but only having time for one.

The last meeting took place in April. How did that differ to the first? Have you seen any evolution in how the committee works? Does the club listen to you?

The difference is massive and in a positive way. The Supporters’ Committee (SC) recognised that its size was too unwieldy with many areas overlapping. We have now restructured ourselves to a more manageable 12 (apostles?). The meetings are now structured around pre agreed themes such as ticketing, equalities and the next one being ‘Provision for Families and young persons’. This allows the SC to focus on a core subject rather than a ‘scattergun’ of questions approach and, I believe, draws out a more detailed response from the Club. In terms of listening I would say that the Club do listen however not all answers are simple yes’s and no’s as many factors come into play once the Club explain the rationale behind any particular move however I believe that progress has been made which otherwise wouldn’t have done.

On a day to day basis what does being a committee member involve?

This can vary but if you are to fully represent your constituent group then a lot of time and effort are required. We have set up subcommittees, have conference calls, set up our own forum, Facebook and twitter accounts, have a kop profile and SC link via the Official website and have many emails to deal with from supporters, liaising with Club staff and following up issues. Emails are the biggest form of communication however for me, reading popular fan forums, blogs (including yours obviously;), websites as well as keeping up to date with the Official website for latest news, ticketing issues etc as well as reading up on other Clubs policies and procedures, PL and FA initiatives all help to ensure that I am reflecting correctly and informatively, the issues that are of most concern to our supporters (although not necessarily my own!). I have also made myself available for many meetings outside of the official minuted meetings with both supporter groups as well as Club staff. It can be pretty full on at times and some members have dropped out due to the commitment required.

Are fans using the committee? What types of things are they contacting you about?

Fans are using the SC and they are growing however many still do not and this is something that we are currently working on to improve. Issues raised are many and varied such as the Season Ticket Waiting List (STWL), away allocation of tickets, ticket costs, moving of seats, ST benefits, restricted views right down to numerous charity, trial and ticket requests.

Are there any achievements over the last 2 years which you are particularly proud of and were driven by the committee? This could be for the committee in general and/or in relation to the particular group you represent.

From my particular corner, the finalised STWL with every fan being given a position that gets updated via the website, the ACS which has seen many improvements such as a STH and member having the opportunity to sit together for Cup games and ticket costs being given up front prior to (and not after) joining the ACS, frozen ticket prices for some for the second year running and the introduction of cheaper Kop tickets for some – the first time I can ever remember tickets being reduced! (although I realise this was subsidised by some fans having to pay a premium for the ‘better’ seats)

What are the main challenges the committee faces?

Getting the fans’ expectations at a level that is achievable and acceptable to the Club – e.g. some fans want us with the best team with the best players, in the best stadium with the best facilities at the cheapest price – difficult!

The short term goals were:

1. To establish a forum for supporters to communicate directly with the Club in a structured manner
2. To help the Club better understand the issues that most affect and concern our fans
3. To give the Club an opportunity to explain the thinking behind key decisions
4. To enable fans to play a key role in helping the Club achieve success on and off the pitch
5. To provide a greater degree of transparency about key issues that affect supporters

To what extent do you think these have been achieved?

1 Fully, a forum does exist for fans to communicate with the Club through the SC.

2 Partially, they understand but only to a degree.

3 Again to a degree although some things remain confidential (for many varied reasons such as to appease sponsors, banks, partners or to keep from competitors)

4 This is ongoing and should really be a long term goal.

5 I believe more information is being communicated e.g. the ERS as an impartial body doing Cup Final ticket ballots.

Long term goals are:

1. To enhance the relationship between Liverpool Football Club and our supporters
2. To help ensure fans feel their loyalty is valued by Liverpool Football Club
3. To help improve Liverpool Football Club for the benefit of all supporters
Do you think these are on course to being achieved?

1 This is going to take a very long time but I believe it is heading in the right direction.

2 The Club still has a long way to go to achieve this and is likely to be the most difficult to satisfy an increasingly cynical fan base.

3 Definitely improving however it is communicating improvements to supporters that needs working on as the current perception appears to be some way off.

Has being a committee member changed in any way your relationship with the club or how you view it? If so, how?

Yes, quite a lot as I cannot just be a fan any more, just going the match with my mates. having a pint afterwards and putting the Club (and the World) to rights. The role takes over as you are representing thousands of fans and they expect everything yesterday which you just cannot achieve. Every match now you start thinking about the price of the tickets, the lack of availability of kids tickets, the lack of tickets generally, the facilities etc etc – you don’t and shouldn’t just act as you did any more, supporters deserve better. If I am honest this has taken a little bit of the shine of going the match for me but I held my hand up, was fortunate to be selected and will try my very best to serve the fans’ interests to the best of my ability.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, March 28, 2010: Liverpool supporters stay behind after the 3-0 victory over Sunderland to demonstrate against the club's American owners after the Premiership match at Anfield. (Photo by: David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Jeanette Dodd

Disabled Fans Representative

How I have found this experience:

To begin with, it was an entirely new and exciting experience, particularly being part of the first Liverpool FC Supporters Committee. Then as I settled in to my role and took on more tasks and responsibilities, it became a challenging, frustrating and thoroughly time-consuming experience!

It is a great responsibility representing the views, issues and concerns of fans, but particularly so with disabled supporters, a large and varied fan base, and one that is steadily growing. Initially I was surprised at how many people of all ages and disabilities were getting in touch with me, but the experience of sharing their stories, communicating their issues to the club and ultimately giving them some sort of voice has been very rewarding.

The best experiences have been when there has been an issue which I have worked with the club to resolve, particularly one where I have spent a great deal of time and effort and it finally comes to fruition. It has also been a great experience to meet some wonderful fellow committee members, supporters and club staff and the shared experiences are something I will always remember about my involvement with the LFC SC.

Whether I think it has done what it was set up to do:

To a large extent, it has in that we have established a forum for supporters to communicate directly with the Club and have enhanced the relationship between the Club and supporters. Whilst we have certainly moved forward providing a greater degree of transparency about key decisions made at the Club, this requires commitment from the Club and personally I do not think we are there yet.
In terms of improving the Club for the benefit of all fans, we have achieved a great deal, particularly for individual fans and groups of supporters. Looking back it is astonishing how far we have come and there are many examples of where our input has made a huge difference.

However, the commitment required from committee members cannot be underestimated and in order to achieve anything tangible, a great deal of time, effort and resources are required from people who are essentially volunteers. Being an active member of the LFC SC is not for the faint-hearted, but it is worthwhile and great to feel that you have made a contribution towards putting the supporters where they should be, at the top of the agenda.

In terms of the LFC SC resolving issues for disabled supporters, these can be (i) at an individual level or (ii) at a policy/process/procedure level.

The successes at individual level usually involve helping a supporter access LFC, more often than not it obtaining match tickets, but occasionally stadium tours and other services and facilities. It is incredibly difficult to get match tickets as a disabled supporter, particularly for those wanting to visit Anfield for the first time. An example of the type of assistance provided is when I was contacted by the Camphill Village Community on behalf of a disabled supporter, Jamie. For a brief outline see link to the ‘good news’ story by LFC.

On a personal level, the experience of meeting supporters like Jamie and assisting, albeit in a small way is very rewarding, but it is relatively uncomplicated and short-term. The more difficult challenges for a disabled supporters’ representative lie in resolving policy and procedural issues, many of which are long-standing. One that springs readily to mind is the complete overhaul of the disabled season ticket waiting list.

To give you some idea, I first raised this issue on 17 September 2011 and the final letters to disabled supporters, informing them of where they were on the ST waiting list, were sent out on 18 December 2012! According to my records, this involved three meetings between the Club and the LFC SC (myself and Bob Humphries) and 62 emails, not to mention several telephone conversations!

We began the process with the Club writing to every disabled supporter they had details for, with a request that applicants update their address, contact details and provide information about their disability and requirements for attending a match. In order to ensure that specific requirements could be accommodated, relevant information about each supporter was collated so that any future offer of a season ticket was relevant to the supporters’ circumstances. A list of frequently asked questions was produced, trained disability ticketing advisors assisted with the completion of the forms, either in person or via the telephone (including typetalk facility for deaf supporters). Finally, the list was organised into two distinct lists: one for supporters who were wheelchair-users (and required a wheelchair bay) and one for supporters who were not wheelchair-users (who would be given the opportunity to sit anywhere in the stadium, subject to their requirements).

It was an incredibly time-consuming process and senior officials at the Club welcomed the involvement of the LFC SC from start to finish. As I had raised the issue initially, I felt it was important that I assisted with the drafting of letters, questions, advised on ‘easy read’ text and levels of assistance and kept disabled supporters informed throughout the process. At the conclusion, we had two up to date waiting lists in chronological order, where every supporter had a designated position; and a transparent system for the allocation of season tickets.

Paul Amman

LGBT Supporters Representative

What made you apply for a place on committee?

I felt I was qualified to represent the LGBT fans as a lifelong Liverpool supporter, committed LGBT activist and as someone with strong links to LGBT football supporters and amateur players.

Can you describe how that first meeting went on 13 August 2011?

The meeting was interesting to say the least, meeting the other representatives, meeting club officials and board members could have been overwhelming, but efforts were made to ensure it went convivially. John Henry and Tom Werner were affable and weren’t interested in being too distant nor just giving glib answers, it felt like they were willing to listen and act. This was backed up by near immediate action: I pointed out that the club wasn’t meeting it’s FA obligations on treating homophobia on a par with racism, by the time of pre-match announcements for that day’s match with Sunderland, the announcer gave Anfield’s first inclusive announcement on behaviour. Certainly felt privileged to take part but also with a great sense of responsibility in speaking on behalf of LGBT supporters who have not had a voice with any club to date.

The last meeting took place in April. How did that differ to the first? Have you seen any evolution in how the committee works? Does the club listen to you?

Absence of owners and Ian Ayre a concern. Certainly an air of business to conduct rather than introductory sounding out of each side. Club does listen to LGBT issues raised in a strategic way. Focused approach on specific issues instead of the near spread shotgun approach of first meeting.

On a day to day basis what does being a committee member involve?

Checking email, facebook pages (both LGBT and general Supporters), responding to enquiries and checking for fortunately rare trolling issues. Checking LGBT sports news feeds and posting relevant material to LGBT Supporters page. Attending meetings with club officials at least a couple of times a year to progress particular issues, meeting with the committee members quarterly and virtually once a month, completing monthly reports on issues, and attending GFSN (Gay Football Supporters’ Network) events a couple of times a year.

Are fans using the committee? What types of things are they contacting you about?

Individual issues of homophobia, campaign issues; contacted only a few times a month mostly by social media.

Are there any achievements over the last 2 years which you are particularly proud of and were driven by the committee? This could be for the committee in general and/or in relation to the particular group you represent.

Development of Inclusive Signage and Announcements
Sign up to the Charter for Action on Homophobia in Sport
Implementation of the City of Liverpool’s Anti-Homophobic Bullying Strategy at LFC’s youth settings (academy and youth work)
Hosting of a Football v Homophobia Tournament at the Kirkby Academy ground
Various articles in LFC Magazine and Programmes
LFC TV coverage of tournament and panel interview with LGBT representative
Agreement to support LGBT supporters at Liverpool Pride
Issues of homophobic behaviour at particular matches

What are the main challenges the committee faces?

Being effectively in touch with each set of constituents, profile amongst wider supporters.

The short term goals were
To establish a forum for supporters to communicate directly with the Club in a structured manner
2. To help the Club better understand the issues that most affect and concern our fans
3. To give the Club an opportunity to explain the thinking behind key decisions
4. To enable fans to play a key role in helping the Club achieve success on and off the pitch
5. To provide a greater degree of transparency about key issues that affect supporters
To what extent do you think these have been achieved?

Achieved, but to a limited extent. Most supporters don’t know the committee exists.
Long term goals are:

1. To enhance the relationship between Liverpool Football Club and our supporters
2. To help ensure fans feel their loyalty is valued by Liverpool Football Club
3. To help improve Liverpool Football Club for the benefit of all supporters
· Do you think these are on course to being achieved?

If the profile of the committee is improved by the club and the club responds on supporters’ key concerns of ticket prices and Anfield redevelopment, then this will achieve these aims. LGBT supporters feel much more included by the simple acts the club has taken to date, but bigger areas of work need addressing amongst the wider supporter base; only last season it felt like the whole of the Kop felt it appropriate to use a chant of “Chelsea Rent Boy” in sustained chanting at Fernando Torres. Myself and another lifelong supporter who was a lesbian attending Anfield for the first time just looked at each other aghast, much work to be done.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5th 2005: A general view of Liverpool's Anfield stadium during the Premiership match against Fulham. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Damien Moore

International Fans (West) Representative

What made you apply for a place on committee?

Two fold, it was a fantastic opportunity to understand the inner workings of the club especially seeing how the ownership and executive would be at each of the meetings and secondly, it was an opportunity to be part of something that was really unique and with my experience serving of several boards (and at an international level) and in addition to being a lifelong Liverpool FC fan …I couldn’t resist!

Can you describe how that first meeting went on 13 August 2011?

I guess…surreal!. What struck me was…what fabulous group of people. Listening to Karen Gill talk about her Grandad (Bill Shankly), to committee members like Dr. Stephen Kelly who have immersed themselves in LFC culture all their life was just a tremendous feeling. Others there were truly remarkable people like Janet Brown OBE who had devoted herself to you people of Liverpool, and this is just 3 of the committee!! This was even before the owners and the executive walked into the room…the only thing that could have topped off the day would have been if Kenny had come in…alas…

The last meeting took place in April. How did that differ to the first? Have you seen any evolution in how the committee works? Does the club listen to you?

Evolution has been key to the development of the Committee. Initially, we would ask questions that had come in from supporters with a view to getting answers. This evolved at the beginning of the second year where it was considered that themes should be developed and more focused so that issues could be discussed in more detail and more concrete action items could therefore develop. This new style of meeting allowed for more interaction with the Executive and will look to continue with it and evolve it as meetings and issues dictate.

On a day to day basis what does being a committee member involve?

My constituency covers half the world and on some days emails have been received on a 24 hour basis. The time zone from Eastern Europe to South America is about 10 hours ..so its daytime somewhere! At the end of 2 years I have received emails from fans in nearly 50 different countries. During the season, on average I will get about 20-30 emails per month with about half requiring some action with the club. With regard to responding to fans, preparing for future conference calls and meetings, I would say I dedicate around an hour a day to the club. When I attend meetings, because of time difference, I leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday, have to take two days off work and travel for about 30 hours so it can be quite grueling.

Are fans using the committee? What types of things are they contacting you about?

The International fans are certainly using the Committee. The types of things I’m contacted about range quite considerably. For example in one week, I helped a fan who worked for a film company get LFC’s approval to use LFC product in an up and coming Clive Owen movie in Canada, to helping a fan receive a shirt he had won in a competition but somehow LFC had forgotten to send, to helping German and Spanish fans review the ticketing guide on how best to get tickets to a game, to helping a group of Brazilian and Bosnian fans get Overseas Branch status…the list goes on. Recently, I had input from Dr. Iqbal, LFC’s medical doctor in responding to a Dutch fan who had developed an ankle support system and thought it would be of use to Daniel Sturridge. I have had some fabulous responses over the past couple of years for helping a lot fans and it becomes very rewarding.

Are there any achievements over the last 2 years which you are particularly proud of and were driven by the committee? This could be for the committee in general and/or in relation to the particular group you represent.

I think the detailed Ticketing Guide was something that was developed to help fans from all over the world. Going to a game is every fans dream, but having to travel several thousand miles, arranging planes, hotels, etc..for an international fan can be daunting and costly especially when it becomes a once in a lifetime opportunity but coordinating a ticket to a game becomes..well..quite difficult really. I believe it was Deloittes that puts our fan base in the several hundred millions around the world so obviously there is a lot of demand for tickets.

As a committee, the work done with respect to Season Ticket Holders, Disabled supporters, LGBT and Young Families has been exceptional. This takes nothing away from the other constituencies, where work is ongoing, it just shows the depth of our fan base, the issues that each group has (..and perceives) and how best we can help them and the club.

What are the main challenges the committee faces?

With every committee…being relevant…is always the challenge. It’s interesting that more and more clubs are staring to adopt the committee set-up pioneered by Liverpool FC. Of course from time to time, we get some negative press which I think is a bit misplaced. At the end of the day we are a consultative body working in the best interest of the fans and considering we started with no precedent, I think we have done a good job.

The short term goals were
To establish a forum for supporters to communicate directly with the Club in a structured manner
2. To help the Club better understand the issues that most affect and concern our fans
3. To give the Club an opportunity to explain the thinking behind key decisions
4. To enable fans to play a key role in helping the Club achieve success on and off the pitch
5. To provide a greater degree of transparency about key issues that affect supporters
To what extent do you think these have been achieved?

I think all in some shape or form are being achieved…however, I would say that point #5 is what has struck me as being the most effective. With the issuing of minutes after each meeting and with the executive saying they are going to do certain things, I believe greater transparency has entered the realm of the executive. Not all decisions will require fan input, but more and more, we are seeing more interaction from the executive with the committee and greater input from certain constituencies into key areas which can only bode well for all involved. Again..it’s not perfect, but we have come along way.

Long term goals are:

1. To enhance the relationship between Liverpool Football Club and our supporters
2. To help ensure fans feel their loyalty is valued by Liverpool Football Club
3. To help improve Liverpool Football Club for the benefit of all supporters
Do you think these are on course to being achieved?
Number 1 …for sure. Number 2…is getting better. Number 3…only time will tell!

Has being a committee member changed in any way your relationship with the club or how you view it? If so, how?

For sure…I don’t envy the LFC’s Head of Ticket Sales!!! the old saying, you cant fit a square peg in a round hole…every week, there are demands from travelling fans for tickets, international fans, General admission fans, season ticket fans who want to bring family members, corporate etc.. There are only so many tickets and if you add to one area, you take from another ..so someone is always going to feel aggrieved. It’s hard to create a win win situation with the current ground (supply) when looking at our fan base (demand) so obviously, the development of the new stadium over the coming years will be key going forward.

The last couple of years have changed the way I view the club. I think Liverpool was slow to the realize that we are a business like any other, that we have millions of fans around the world, that times have changed and as much as we would like to think the world revolves around us….it doesn’t. However, winning the treble in a couple of years time…would help us feel like that again. I think the club is taking great strides to bring us into the new millennium after years of living off our former glory.

BOSTON, MA - Tuesday, July 24, 2012: Liverpool's owner John W. Henry during a training session at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, ahead of their second preseason match of the North American tour, against AS Roma. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

James Benson

Fans in Anfield / Breckfield Representative

What made you apply for a place on committee?

I wanted to know how the club was run, I wanted to hear from the decision makers how they make the decisions and I wanted to help the fans try and have a say with the making of these decisions.

Can you describe how that first meeting went on 13 August 2011?

From what I can remember the first meeting was very polite and unusual. There was no formula, setup or mandate as it was all new. We asked questions that were pertinent to fans at the time but none that had come from the fans themselves (other than us) as we had all only met the day before. It was good to meet the owners and the board members but it was all new, fresh and optimistic. It was also the start of the new season, so that may have had something to do with it

The last meeting took place in April. How did that differ to the first? Have you seen any evolution in how the committee works? Does the club listen to you?

The last meeting I was at was in February (as I work shifts and so unfortunately couldn’t be at the last meeting), but the meetings have changed, and changed for the better. There is more of a purposeful discussion. We have set topics and don’t just ask questions. We have gotten to know each other as a group and know a lot of the board members better, there is certainly more trust and respect than there first was, especially from the club. We have evolved the committee ourselves as we felt the initial 18 was too many, plus we have diluted the constituencies to try and get the most out of the meetings. I would say the meetings have improved massively.

Does the club listen? I hope so, but the club will only listen if it’s deemed in the clubs interest to listen. We try to change this and the meeting minutes are a real asset for that. Some of our reps have raised points that I know the club would prefer not to talk about, but because they have knowledge, relevant experience and constituent emails detailing examples to back up points which they can go into meetings with, the impact that makes is much better. For example our disabled fans rep has really educated me on the poor treatment that our disabled fans have to put up with. This shows that with a good level of fan involvement with each relevant rep, we can use that involvement and the knowledge we gain to put all this across to club to help educated them and helps towards pushing positive change. Whatever that may be.

They didn’t listen about the ticket pricing though, I mean we have no say on what price they set and never will, but information is there for everyone to suggest it wasn’t the best idea especially with the introduction of the new pricing structure. How they handled that was poor. The consultation with us was not what it should have been, but I think they have learned from this.

What I would say though is that we, as a committee, raised the prospect of this happening at almost every meeting before the announcement, the fans had an opportunity to contact us about this and still have, but they didn’t and haven’t, not in great numbers. The successes we have achieved have been possible when there has been a great number of supporter involvement and knowledge that can help to back our claims up. This is our biggest challenge to overcome, fan involvement, the more we have the more changes we can push.

On a day to day basis what does being a committee member involve?

Answering emails and attending meetings, either from/with club officials or fans.

Are fans using the committee? What types of things are they contacting you about?

I would say the local fans are not using the committee as the Anfield/Breckfield rep I have very little contact from people in this area, even now most of my emails come from out of the UK. A lot of my emails concern people wanting tickets/merchandise/trials, stuff I can’t help with or it is charity requests, I can help with these but only by forwarding the email on to the club department and its great to help but its not really what I’m there for. Unfortunately I get very little in terms of questions, complaints, ideas that I can bring to the meetings and present to the club. I get more dialogue on our twitter feed (@LFCSupCom) than the email address. As I’ve said in my last answer this is something I’d love to see change.

Are there any achievements over the last 2 years which you are particularly proud of and were driven by the committee? This could be for the committee in general and/or in relation to the particular group you represent.

We have made slow strides. In the area I represent I will have to say no, there has not been a lot of achievements. With the news continuing on the ground and local area being redeveloped this should change. Without fans knowing who I am and using me though, this will be difficult.

The committee as a whole has achieved some success. The work and continuing work regards better treatment for disabled supporters and the change in attitude regards equality strands in the fan base is encouraging. There has been some success regards the lower pricing of kids at the game (the £5 tickets for example) although its not prefect and we are still working with the club and should hopefully see more positive changes on this soon.

What are the main challenges the committee faces?

Top of the list is growing supporter involvement, this goes hand in hand with growing supporter trust. I think we have managed to gain a level of trust from the club, so if we get the fans involved and using us, as we can be used, then the committee will become a success.

The short term goals were

1.To establish a forum for supporters to communicate directly with the Club in a structured manner

2. To help the Club better understand the issues that most affect and concern our fans

3. To give the Club an opportunity to explain the thinking behind key decisions

4. To enable fans to play a key role in helping the Club achieve success on and off the pitch

5. To provide a greater degree of transparency about key issues that affect supporters

To what extent do you think these have been achieved?

The committee has a solid group of fans who are dedicated to help where they can and do so in there own time, we get nothing back for doing this, no money or tickets etc. nor do we expect it. We have achieved most of the points above but not in a massive way, it’s quite understated. I’ll answer each point if I may:

1. The forum to contact us (emails, twitter etc.) is there but is under used.

2. The club is being told what we know and what we are getting told

3. The meetings are minuted and we can always get more information if a fan or group of fans request more details

4. I would not want to answer this one yet. Success can be judged in different ways. We certainly haven’t been very successful on the pitch!

5. Again as point 3, if fans aren’t happy we can push the club on anything and we would all be happy to do so.

Long term goals are:

1. To enhance the relationship between Liverpool Football Club and our supporters

2. To help ensure fans feel their loyalty is valued by Liverpool Football Club

3. To help improve Liverpool Football Club for the benefit of all supporters

Do you think these are on course to being achieved?

This is related to a perception of individuals and groups. It would be ridiculous to say everyone will, at some point feel satisfied and valued. Can we help enhance the relationship between club and fans? Yes, but I’ll say it again we need more supporter involvement and it’s always worth remembering we don’t control everything. Would fans want a ticket price rise? Of course not and it fractures the clubs relationship with the fans by doing what they did but the club felt it was necessary to do it, we don’t have any effect on that but with more fan involvement and if we continue building our relationship with the club hopefully that will change and we can offer alternatives that can appease both the club and the fans.

Has being a committee member changed in any way your relationship with the club or how you view it? If so, how?

Yes in all honesty it probably has. I’m lost in the finance of football and every question has in some way a relation towards finance. I don’t care how much a player costs, or what he’s on a week, if he has a buy out clause or if he has a win bonus, I should only care about what he plays like and how the team does on the pitch, nothing more.

How 4th place is now an achievement. That I should be excited about the announcement of a new sponsor baffles me. I’d rather read about initiatives that help the community.

I expect the club to want to help fans to go to the game at a fair price but what is deemed as fair has lost all sense of reality.

Is this the clubs fault or my age and the way football has changed?

What I am glad to say is that I have met a great bunch of fans who are giving there all on the committee and that there are some really good people working at the club, I think there needs to be more, but there is a group of good that many fans don’t see or hear about.

You can find the contact details of all of the supporters committee here.

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