Sd programme 2012_final (3)

SUPPORTERS DIRECT FANS’ WEEKENDCHESTER 15TH–16TH JULY 2011

sponsored by

SD_Programme_2012.indd 1 12/07/2011 14:01

2 | SD FANS’ WEEKEND

The Co-operative and Supporters Direct are united in their shared passion and ambitions for co-operation. For The Co-operative, this means a business model that puts members at the heart of our governance, rewards them with a share in our profi ts and has, at its core, a steadfast commitment to social responsibility. For Supporters Direct, this means promoting a model for sports clubs that builds on the unique sense of solidarity borne of loyalty to a team, to give fans a greater voice in the running of their clubs. For both, there is an explicit recognition that the long-term sustainability of their concerns is best served by involving in decision-making the very people on whom their long-term success is dependent.

At The Co-operative, we are investing £7.5m over the next three years to build a stronger co-operative economy in the UK through the provision of free, tailored advice and training to new and trading co-operatives. The Co-operative Enterprise Hub has brought together

a network of experienced co-operative development advisers to offer support to enterprises that are seeking to become co-operatives, or co-operatives that are at critical points in their development. We were delighted to recently welcome Supporters Direct into our network of experts, where their expertise can be drawn on to promote a more sustainable future for the next generation of community-owned clubs.

In all sorts of areas, people are coming together to create mutual solutions to ensure that they have a say in the running of services and enterprises that they hold dear. In sport, we fi nd communities of passionate people who are united by a bond that will tie them together throughout their lives. It is a ripe area for community ownership and Supporters Direct have our full support in their efforts to support fans to take control.

Michael Fairclough, Head of Community and Campaigns, The Co-operative Group

welcome to today’s annual conference of supporters

direct, and my first as Acting chief Executive. my sincere thanks to the

co-operative for their sponsorship of the weekend.

I have clearly taken this position at a diffi cult time for sd. fortunately we have an extremely committed and hard working team all dedicated to maintaining the excellent work for which sd is known.

the focus of today’s conference, with the launch of our two briefi ng papers, is on strengthening the

the past year has been the launch of two well received briefi ng papers at westminster and our contribution to the work of the house of commons select committee. this is part of the continued drive to embed our philosophy of a more sustainable game with greater fan and community involvement, something that both the coalition and Labour have committed to. we also continue to grow our reputation across Europe as experts on engaging supporters in their clubs.

this is only made possible because of the work that you all carry out at your own supporters’ trusts and football clubs.Over the last 11 years we have grown and developed the supporters’ trust movement together. Yes, sd may be living through a diffi cult moment, but the support and encouragement we have received from so many of you has given us great heart over recent weeks. I believe, working together, we can continue to build the number and strength of our supporters’ trusts in the coming decades.

-chair dame Pauline Green

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 12th Annual conference of supporters direct.

despite the challenging times, I believe the movement itself is in good health. I am delighted that we are receiving sponsorship from the co-operative for today’s conference and the fans day on saturday. In addition to providing us with resources, the co-operative also helps us to tap into a far wider and growing support for mutualism and co-operation that covers so many sectors of business and society. this is critical for the success of an organisation like sd, and I hope to continue building on those relationships.

we have wide support across the political spectrum, and one of the notable successes of

WELCOmE TO THE SD FANS’ WEEKEND

business case for supporter ownership and how that can be fi nanced.

In the closing plenary, the emphasis will be on the direction and relevance of sd and the wider trust movement in a game which looks quite different from that of eleven years ago when sd was created. I am grateful to william Gaillard, special Advisor to michel Platini, for agreeing to join us.

I’d like to thank all those who have given up their time to lead sessions or be part of the day.

whilst today’s conference is intended to be very much a formal event, including our Annual General meeting, tomorrow is a little more free-form and fun.

I hope you enjoy both days.

-Acting CEO Brian Burgess


SD FANS’ WEEKEND | 3

Brian Burgess

Tom Hall

Jim Brown

Adam Brown Adam Brown is a founder and Director of Substance, helping organisations delivering personal, community and social development.

He led the Social Value of Football research for SD, and also its four recent briefing papers.

He was Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow at the Manchester Institute for Popular Culture at Manchester Metropolitan University from 1996 to 2006.

He was also a leading member of the Government Football Task Force and is a board member of both FC United of Manchester and Cornerhouse arts centre.

Jim Brown is the principal consultant at Baker Brown Associates, a policy research and development co-operative. Jim has worked with co-operatives over 30 years. His main areas of interest are equity investment, community engagement, innovation, business strategy and training. He was the lead consultant for Community Shares, a two year action research programme funded by the Cabinet Office and the Department of Communities and Local Government, which was completed earlier this year, and the author of The Practitioners Guide to Community Shares, published in July 2011.

Tom Hall is Head of Policy and Development at Supporters Direct, whom he joined in 2007 as a Development Manager. His background is in sports and community development having worked for Sport England for a number of years and previous to that in regeneration for local government. He has a Masters in Business Strategy, Politics and the Environment from Birkbeck College and is a qualified project manager

Brian is a business advisor specialising in the development of sports stadia,multi-purpose community hubs and social enterprise models for linking sport, health, education, and social inclusion. He is currently leading the development of a new 20,000 seat Brentford Community Stadium for Brentford Football Club and trustee of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust. From 2003 to 2007 he chaired the supporters’ trust, Bees United.

Following a 30-year career in industry, Brian joined Community Action Network (CAN) in 2002, and until 2007 was Managing Director CAN Health and Sport Ltd, a social enterprise advisory service working with the public, private and third sectors to promote the development of community hubs delivering public services

OPENING PLENARY (12.00-13.00)

LAuNch Of thE bRIEfING PAPERs ‘fINANcING suPPORtER cOmmuNItY OwNERshIP’ ANd ‘busINEss AdvANtAGEs Of suPPORtER cOmmuNItY OwNERshIP’

We’re launching the last two of our four briefing papers for 2011; ‘Financing Supporter Community Ownership’ and ‘business Advantages of supporter community Ownership’.

these papers should both inspire and inform supporters’ trusts and the fans alike as to why and how they should have more influence in the ownership of their clubs.

the session will be introduced by brian burgess, Acting chief Executive of supporters direct with tom hall, head of Policy and development at supporters direct, Jim brown of baker brown Associates and Adam brown of substance presenting.

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WORKSHOPS

stRANd ONE: INsPIRING ANd ENAbLING suPPORtER OwNERshIP

BUSINESS ADvANTAgES OF SUPPORTER COmmUNITY OWNERSHIP IN FOOTBALL

FINANCINg SUPPORTER COmmUNITY OWNERSHIP IN FOOTBALL

These workshops will take a closer and practical look at the two papers launched at the Conference including case studies and presentations from some clubs.

sEssION 114:00 to 15:00

sEssION 215:15 to 16:15

Led by: James Mathie (SD) with Fiona McGee (Substance) and Mark Howells (Chester FC)

The session will hopefully inspire and give confidence to supporters’ trusts and individuals alike as to the advantages and positive stories from supporter owned clubs. It will provide further detail from the opening plenary on advantages our research has identified on being supporter owned.

Led by: Tom Hall (SD), with Adam Brown (Substance), Kevin Jaquiss (Cobbetts) and Andy Walsh (FC United)

One of the major obstacles to extending current supporter community ownership – whether for wholly owned, majority or minority ownership – is the ability of trusts to raise capital finance. This briefing paper outlines the various methods of raising finance to enable supporter ownership.

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stRANd thREE: tRAINING fOR suPPORtERs’ tRusts

mODEL RULES

WORKINg WITH OTHER FAN gROUPS

sEssION 114:00 to 15:00

sEssION 215:15 to 16:15

Led by: Jacqui Forster (SD) with Tom Wainwright (Cobbetts)

This session will focus on the introduction of the revised set of model rules which we have been working on with the help of Co-operatives UK and Cobbetts. It will give participants a better understanding of the changes that have been made, new powers that they enable and the process to implementing them.

Led by: Jacqui Forster (SD)

The second session will take a look at the role of supporters’ trusts and how they can work effectively with other supporters groups on a local level. It will include case studies from different approaches from supporters’ trusts that have been successful in developing strong working relationships with other groups or working towards their aims.

EDWARD ROOm

stRANd twO: POLIcY ANd REGuLAtION (ONE sEssION ONLY)

BRIEFINg PAPERS 1 & 2 (‘Developing Public Policy to Encourage Supporter Community Ownership in Football’ and ‘Developing Football Regulation to Encourage Supporters Community Ownership in Football’)

sEssION 114:00 to 15:00

Led by: Adam Brown (Substance)

The workshop will major on the two Policy and Regulation papers launched in May and will also consider both the current DCMS inquiry plus touch upon the relevant elements of the Localism Bill. It will both review the current landscape, consider current opportunities and outline what anyone interested can do in these areas to help create the political will for change.

DISRAELI ROOm



All workshop strands except the AFC Telford Peer review and the European Supporters’ Groups session can be attended by delegates.

A comfort break of 15 minutes will be provided between the first and second sessions

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stRANd fOuR: EuROPE

UEFA FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY

CLOSED SESSION: EUROPEAN SUPPORTER gROUPS ONLY

sEssION 114:00 to 15:00

sEssION 115:15 to 16:15

Led by: Antonia Hagemann

The first session will explain the UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulation which is due to be adopted from the start of the 2011/12 season for clubs seeking to play in UEFA competitions and in particular the introduction of the Supporter Liaison Officers - something SD has worked closely with UEFA on.

Led by: Antonia Hagemann

The second session will be a closed session for supporters groups from mainland Europe to discuss the work of SD Europe and how groups can work better together.

PRINCE ALBERT ROOm

stRANd fIvE: suPPORtER ANd cOmmuNItY-OwNEd cLubs

mARKETINg YOUR CLUB TO YOUR FAN BASE

AFC TELFORD PEER REvIEW/COmmUNITY OWNED CLUBS

sEssION 114:00 to 15:00

sEssION 215:15 to 16:15

Led by: James Proctor (SD) with Mark Bradley (Mark Bradley Projects)

The first session will feature Mark Bradley, an industry expert on the fans experience of games. The session will focus on how supporter owned clubs can market themselves better, with particular focus on how to engage their fanbase.

Led by: James Proctor (SD) with Peter Jackson (Consultant)

The club recently undertook a comprehensive review of the club with key stakeholders including fans’, local business and the local authority to understand what these groups thought of the club, and how they can improve these relationships. This interactive session will provide a brief summary of the review, its key findings and how it can apply at other clubs.

This session will also provide an opportunity for our supporter owned clubs to discuss how they can provide mutual support and where SD can assist.

This strand will be for supporter owned clubs to share good ideas and identify ways SD can provide more support to these clubs.

Start time End time Session

11.00 12.00 Registration

12.00 13.00 Opening Plenary

13.00 14.00 Lunch (Kings’ Quarter)

14.00 15.00 Workshop Strands

15.15 16.15 Workshop Strands

16.15 16.45 Break (Palazzo Suite)

16.45 17.45 Closing Plenary

18.00 Agm

20.00 23.00 Comedy Night

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cLOsING PLENARY (16.45-17.45)

thE tRust mOvEmENt: sEIzING thE OPPORtuNItY

mARK BRADLEY

The author of Inconvenience Stores (2004) and Retails of the Unexpected (2008), Mark uses ‘real fan experiences’ to encourage Clubs, Leagues and Associations to think differently about growth. The Football League has credited The Fan Experience Company with increasing family attendance at fixtures by over 12% (more than 2 million people) in the 4 years since the Family Excellence Awards were established to let Clubs see themselves through new fans’ eyes. Mark also works with the SPL (Scottish Premier League), the FAI (Airtricity League) and the Football Association (Non-League / ‘grass roots’ levels and the new FA WSL). He also works for a number of individual Clubs, at all levels of the game, helping them to develop a much deeper understanding of the potential, existing and lapsed supporter and to renew fan consultation, increase engagement and grow attendances. Mark can be contacted via [email protected] @FanExperienceCo

supporters direct is a democratically owned organisation. members are entitled to elect the board, and make decisions at General meetings.

If you want to know more about renewing or joining as a full or associate member, please contact

[email protected] or call 0044 (0)20 7273 1576

WILLIAm gAILLARD

William gaillard is currently the Director of Communications & Public Affairs for UEFA, and Senior Adviser to UEFA President michel Platini. He has recently appeared before the DCmS Select Committee’ football governance enquiry.

from 20.00 to 23.00 there will be a comedy night, with canapés served in the palazzo suite from 19:00, for people with a comedy night ticket who have attended the conference.

Since its inception in 2000, SD has been at the forefront of arguing for better regulation of football, and we’re now in an age where the argument about regulation is not about ‘if’ but ‘what’ and ‘how’.

Leagues are gradually adopting more stringent controls on finances and the ownership of clubs. UEFA’s new licensing criteria is becoming a reality with the eventual aim that debt be more-or-less eradicated from clubs. Within UEFA’s licence – and as a consequence, most Premier League clubs – the new Supporter Liaison Officer requirement means that fans will have more of a formal channel to be listened to and their views acted upon.

So what does that mean for SD? What will be the impact on fan ownership? And how will the Culture media and Sport Select Committee report, due to be published shortly, affect this climate?

This plenary will feature a discussion and speeches from SD Acting Chief Executive Brian Burgess, and two special guests: William gaillard and mark Bradley.

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vICTORIA ROOmAGm(18.00)

cOmEdY NIGht



FANS’ DAYsaturday 16th July, Exacta stadium, chester fc, bumpers Lane, ch1 4Lt

The Fans’ Day begins at 12pm in the marquee at Chester FC. There will be a BBQ, stalls, fans’ penalty shoot-out and keynote speeches.

Following this will be The SD Cup: Chester FC vs. FC United of manchester. 3.00pm kick-off

SPEAKERS AT THE FANS’ DAY INCLUDE:

TOm gREATREX mP

Tom is the Labour/Co-Operative member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. Prior to his election in 2010, he worked at gmB, East Dunbartonshire Council, NHS 24, and as a Policy Adviser to three Secretaries of State for Scotland. Outside of politics, his interests include family, films and football - he is a former Chair of Fulham Supporters’ Trust! Tom was kind enough to host the May launch of two Supporters Direct briefing papers at Portcullis House.

DAvID CONN

David Conn is an award-winning writer for the guardian newspaper and author of two acclaimed books chronicling English football’s commercial transformation: ‘The Football Business’ and ‘The Beautiful game? Searching for the Soul of Football’.

He has earned a reputation as the foremost journalist critically investigating football’s structure and governance, as well as ownership and takeover sagas at individual clubs. He has always been a strong advocate of supporter representation at clubs, and continues to argue, that clubs should ideally be mutually owned by their supporters, and be primarily community organisations.

David qualified first as a lawyer before embarking on a career in journalism. He has written for all England’s broadsheet newspapers on a range of issues including football, and made documentaries for BBC television and radio. He wrote a weekly investigative column for the Independent for six years before moving to the guardian in 2005. He was last year voted UK sports news reporter of the year by the Sports Journalists Association, an award he also won in 2005. He has been named football writer of the year by the Football Supporters Federation three times, in 2002, 2005 and 2009.

CHRIS PILSBURY

Chris Pilsbury has spent his career in teaching, retiring early four years ago. In October 2009 he was elected to the board of City Fans United, subsequently becoming chairman.

The early months of work with his colleagues on the board of CFU were concerned with preparing for the inevitable collapse of the club, which finally occurred in March 2010. He cites as critical the dedication of the fans and the help and advice of many, at the forefront of which was Supporters’ Direct.

Following the Club’s collapse, he became the first Chairman of the reborn Chester F.C., something he describes as “a huge honour, an enormous responsibility and, most particularly, a great joy”.

ANDY WALSH

Andy Walsh is a seasoned community activist and a fervent campaigner for fan involvement in football clubs. As Chair of the Independent manchester United Supporters’ Association he led the successful campaign to stop the takeover of manchester United by Rupert murdoch’s BSkyB. Andy was one of the prime movers in uniting the football supporters’ movement through the establishment of the Football Supporters’ Federation bringing together the National Federation of Football Supporters and the Football Supporters Association. As the general manager of fan-owned FC United of manchester he is leading the club’s project to build a new 5,000 capacity community football ground and sports complex in manchester.

Start Time End Time Session Venue

12.00 14.00 Activities begin including: bar, stalls and bbQ marquee

13.00 14.00 Keynote speakers marquee

14.45 14.55 fans’ penalty shoot-out: chester fc v fc united Pitch

15.00 17.00 sd cup Pitch

17.00 18.00 man of the match presentation marquee


3rd Floor Victoria House,Bloomsbury SquareLondon WC1B 4SE

t. 020 7273 1592w. supporters-direct.coop
