Everton Football Club welcomes and acknowledges the publication of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance.
The Club will review the findings and extensive recommendations in the report and will continue its own ongoing fan consultation, with a meeting with supporters' groups scheduled before Christmas to discuss how governance structures both internally and within football can continue to be improved.
Further updates from that meeting with supporters will be shared in due course. The Club is committed to enhancing and evolving its own governance and fan consultation structures, informed by the results of the Club's fan survey, feedback from fan groups and within the context of the spirit of positive change which initiated the Government's Fan-Led Review into Football Governance.
Everton CEO, Denise Barrett-Baxendale has played an acting role as a member of the Advisory Panel on the Government’s fan-led review. The panel supported Tracey Crouch MP to assess the state of the game in the wake of the failed attempts by a small number of clubs to create a European Super League.
The results of a fan survey that gave Blues the chance to have their say about the future of football and shape the Club’s involvement were used to help inform and support Professor Barret-Baxendale’s input into the Government’s fan-led review, ensuring the voices of Evertonians were heard at a crucial time in the history of the game.
The findings from the fan survey, which attracted almost 10,000 responses, complemented the recommendations of the fan-led review. This includes the need for the appointment of an independent football regulator, desire from Blues to see Government and / or football adopting legislation to prevent future threats to the integrity of the sport and fairer distribution of revenue within the game.
Evertonians responding to the survey also backed the creation of a ‘supporter committee’ or ‘custodian group’ comprised of representatives from fan groups to advise the Board on key matters. This was reflected in the fan-led review recommending the formation of a ‘shadow board’ at football clubs that would be a vehicle for consultation and engagement on key decisions, while a “Golden Share” could protect important heritage items such as club name, badges, kit colour, stadiums and re-location outside of the local area as well as leaving existing or joining unsanctioned competitions.
Everton and its Fans’ Forum began a wide-ranging consultation in the wake of the collapse of the European Super League. This has seen the Club’s supporters’ groups, who represent more than 3,000 fans – including Everton Supporters Club Committee, Everton Shareholders’ Association, Everton Disabled Supporters’ Association and the Everton Heritage Society - come together for a series of workshops and focus groups. Leads and representatives have been working together to digest the results of the fan survey and, in the coming weeks, will meet with members of the Club’s executive team to present their own recommendations as part of the Club's ongoing commitment to ensure fan voices are heard.
