" SUPPORTER LIAISON OFFICER "

At Cardiff City Stadium.

Trust Board members Phil Harding and Tim Hartley joined other Premier League supporters groups at the first meeting of the newly created Supporter Liaison Officers (SLO) held at the Cardiff City Stadium. Here they explain what the new role means for us as fans and how clubs and supporters are working together to improve the away fan experience.

 

The new supporter liaison role is being brought in by UEFA to ensure better communication between clubs and fans. The SLO will provide a focal point for supporters to ensure their voice is heard in decision making at the club. UEFA President, Michel Platini, says, “Better organis ed supporters can be nothing but positive in terms of projecting the positive side of supporter behaviour as a counterpoint to the widely reported negative elements.”

Cardiff’s SLO is Tom Gorringe who is also the club’s Sales and Marketing officer. He says it’s important to have a club employee in the role so that the fans voice is heard ‘at the top table.’ Tom told his fellow SLO’s about how Cardiff have been named ‘family club of the year’ more than once. He also unveiled a new online ‘Away Fan Guide’ which offers those travelling to Cardiff information on ticketing, travel and all the city’s attractions.

The meeting concentrated on away fan issues. There was concern at the way all fans are treated when they travel, subjected to searches, turned away from pubs and generally made to feel unwelcome. The Premier League knows that the pre match experience is an important part of an away trip and we are all pushing to make it as hassle free as possible. The league now has an Away Fan App which it is still developing.

One of the roles of the SLO is to seek fans’ views. Tom has stolen a march on all the Premier League clubs and has created a Twitter account where we can contact him - @thgorringe. Tom also said that the City are introducing an Away Fan twitter account so that those visiting Cardiff will have an constantly updated stream of information from booking tickets to live travel updates and guides to the ground. All 15 clubs represented at the meeting said they too would like to offer such an account.

Malcolm Clarke from the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) said away fans always seem to be put in the worst seats. I remember the vertigo I felt as we climbed to the top and back of the stand a Newcastle a couple of years ago. A dreadful experience! We voted unanimously for the Premier League to tell clubs to offer decent seats to all away fans.

As a Trust we have heard complaints many times about the price of some away tickets. From this season, Stoke will provide free away travel to their fans in an attempt to get more of them travelling. Phil raised the issue of pricing directly and suggested we all support the FSF’s ‘Twenty’s Plenty’  campaign to cap away tickets at £20. The income made from away tickets is small compared to TV rights so it wouldn’t really hurt the clubs. There was a vote on categorisation of games and it was agreed that clubs should have set prices for diffe rent seats whatever team you are playing.

Other matters discussed included smoke bombs and flares. Research shows that 83% of fans believe they are unsafe, rising to 87% of those attending matches. Five clubs now support a Safe Standing pilot and it is surely now a matter of time before the government offers clubs a chance to consider introducing safe standing terraces. We also discussed free transport to grounds on match days and playing DVDs of vintage matches in the away end before kick-off. I vote for the Leeds FA Cup game to be played in our end at Old Trafford this season.

It was good to meet other Trusts, Supporters Clubs and of course the Premiership’s new SLOs. The role could be very important in ensuring fans views are heard and acted on. But the job must be taken seriously. It was disappointing to hear one SLO, say, “The role was thrown at me in the last few weeks on top of my day job and is not even a designated role.”

Our own Tom Gorringe made a great impression on the rest of the Premiership and has obviously hit the ground running. We are looking forward to working with him over the coming weeks as he draws up a plan to embed a culture of proper dialogue between the fans and the club at Cardiff.

 

The SLO is a club employee with another job??? What a cop out!

I like the fact there is a twitter contact for him, but this seems like a full time job in itself, not a supplementary role.

We seem to be leading the way in a lot of initiatives regarding fans! Certainly come a long way under tan?

I have been working behind the scenes for a long time in regard to the SLO role and have passed on information to Tom...he is putting something together soon and will no doubt include fans from all different parts of the fan base.
We have information about the role on the FSF site.

http://fsf.org.uk/slo/

I have been working behind the scenes for a long time in regard to the SLO role and have passed on information to Tom...he is putting something together soon and will no doubt include fans from all different parts of the fan base.
We have information about the role on the FSF site.

www,fsf.org.uk

I would like to have seen an SLO being appointed as a stand alone job Corky, rather than it being lumped on a current employee with other interests.
I trust your judgement though, are my concerns misplaced?

The role is very new and it will be a very difficult job if done as the fans organisations would like it done. Tom is a good bloke and listens and takes advice, he is also intelligent and able to adapt to the job. Fans will become more involved as the role evolves and for now its fine.

I have been working behind the scenes for a long time in regard to the SLO role and have passed on information to Tom...he is putting something together soon and will no doubt include fans from all different parts of the fan base.
We have information about the role on the FSF site.

http://fsf.org.uk/slo/

Corky, does TOm Gorringe have an email account. Twitter is too short.

Thanks

He also unveiled a new online ‘Away Fan Guide’

Well excuse me for being picky here BUT I did that online guide back in 2001. I had to do it as part of the FLPTV deal that was brought in back then.

Relaunch maybe but "new" was mine. Again, sorry for being picky but it was my cooking guide not his. Ta very much.

Yes mate pm.d it to you

Yes mate pm.d it to you

yep, cheers Corky.

He also unveiled a new online ‘Away Fan Guide’

Well excuse me for being picky here BUT I did that online guide back in 2001. I had to do it as part of the FLPTV deal that was brought in back then.

Relaunch maybe but "new" was mine. Again, sorry for being picky but it was my cooking guide not his. Ta very much.

Well Corky did say the new fella was 'adaptable'

Interested to know what FLPTV is (I assume its something to do with ITV Digital if its 2001?) and what exactly were 'away fan guides?'

It is easy to rubbish this SLO position and yes ATM it is probably a worthless exercise and certainly won't get the 'fans voice heard at the top table'

But I think it is a good idea in principle. It would need all supporters groups to co-operate with each other and provide a united front but a can see this being a useful tool in years ahead.

VT has already shown that he doesn't care what the fans think, it's his way or no way.

VT has already shown that he doesn't care what the fans think, it's his way or no way.

Im not going to delete this comment as I know it will be seen as Gestapo-like

But can we not derail this thread into a rebrand/pro blue/pro VT/anti VT/ I <3 Sam thread please?

Lets keep on topic, as its a fairly interesting in my opinion, and if the fans actually get to have some sort of dialogue with this SLO could be a good thing.

Im going to create a new acronym for use in cases like this

Stay
On
Topic

VT has already shown that he doesn't care what the fans think, it's his way or no way.

Your post has got nothing to do with the original post give it a rest

Other matters discussed included smoke bombs and flares. Research shows that 83% of fans believe they are unsafe, rising to 87% of those attending matches.

I wonder if this was asked as a question grouping smoke bombs and flares or seperately as I doubt that many fans would think smoke bombs were unsafe unlike flares?

Will this allow discussion over why restrictions are in place for some away fans but not others?

For example the restrictons West Ham put in us (RV, voucher exchange etc) but we probably won't have the same restrictions when they come to Cardiff.

For example the restrictons West Ham put in us (RV, voucher exchange etc) but we probably won't have the same restrictions when they come to Cardiff

If West Ham had not been the first match of the Premier league for Cardiff, it is possible that there would have been no restrictions...the travel club and supporters club were asked their views on this possible troublesome fixture bearing in mind that there would be over 3,000 city fans making the trip and the past trouble at the stadium...it was decided to go for a voucher exchange for the vast majority of fans but with dispensation given to disabled/elderly or any fan that wrote to the club that required ticket collection and had a good reason why they could not get to the voucher exchange.

It was felt that a bad start to the season trouble wise would impact on the whole season ahead...less tickets, and clubs wary about welcoming our fans.

Corky, hats off to you for the work you do for the fans behind the scenes.

VT has already shown that he doesn't care what the fans think, it's his way or no way.

Im not going to delete this comment as I know it will be seen as Gestapo-like

But can we not derail this thread into a rebrand/pro blue/pro VT/anti VT/ I <3 Sam thread please?

Lets keep on topic, as its a fairly interesting in my opinion, and if the fans actually get to have some sort of dialogue with this SLO could be a good thing.

Im going to create a new acronym for use in cases like this

Stay
On
Topic

Totally legitimate comment, so deleting the comment would be extremely silly in my view, sorry.

Don't see the point of someone "listening to the fans" from the club, when its clear that the club doesn't care what the fans think.

Totally linked to the topic & my opinion on it.

Smoke bombs and flares are not the same thing. Why do they keep addressing them both at the same time? Flares are very dangerous and should not be present. Smoke bombs carry very little danger with them. All the club needs is a Fans Group with controlled displays as others do and it'd be fine.

Health & Safety Killjoys in this country make me sick.

Smoke bombs and flares are not the same thing. Why do they keep addressing them both at the same time? Flares are very dangerous and should not be present. Smoke bombs carry very little danger with them. All the club needs is a Fans Group with controlled displays as others do and it'd be fine.

Health & Safety Killjoys in this country make me sick.

What about those with asthma?