The Premier League’s concept of Fan Advisory Boards, introduced in the Fan Engagement Standard, closely mirrors the existing structure of fan engagement that has been in place at Manchester City for five seasons since 2018, through City Matters.
Made up of ten voluntary members each representing a different fan group, City Matters’ fan representatives are elected to their positions and meet with the Club and its senior leaders on a regular basis.
The network has been designed to create an environment where ideas and feedback can be shared between the Club and its fans on a range of topics, with meetings covering matchday operations, wider club projects and business matters, as well as ensuring that fans have an opportunity to influence new initiatives which are introduced.
Alongside the Club’s full group meetings, sub-groups have been established in key areas including ticketing and equality and diversity, to enable fan representatives and respective Club leads responsible for these areas to work on specific projects, so the voice and views of fans are considered.
Commenting on City Matters and Manchester City’s ongoing commitment to fan engagement, Danny Wilson, Managing Director – Manchester City Operations, said:
“Ensuring that we maintain consistent and ongoing dialogue with our fans across a range of matters from long-term objectives through to the matchday experience remains a key priority for the Club, and City Matters will continue to play an integral role as part of that.
“Since City Matters was launched in 2018, we have valued the input of our elected representatives who have not only shared their views, but actively contributed to initiatives which have been introduced at the Club, with the creation of a specific allocation of away tickets for 18-25 year olds being one such example.
“Whether directly through City Matters, or formal consultation with our fans on significant matters - most recently our proposals to develop the Etihad Stadium or our badge change in 2015 - the views of our fans are considered in everything we do.”
Simon Walker, Chair, City Matters, added:
“We know that City Matters is an incredibly important part of the Club’s overall approach to fan engagement, and as elected members we are proud to represent our fans in a formal programme that provides us with an opportunity to hear from the Club first hand and share our feedback on a whole host of topics.”
Fans are represented at City Matters by their elected members in the following fan groups:
- Families
- Under 25s
- Season Ticket Members
- LGBTQ+
- Disabled Fans
- Women
- Black, Asian or of Mixed Heritage
- Over 65s
- Seasonal Hospitality
- Official Supporters Club
You can read more about City Matters, find out who your representatives are and how to contact them by visiting the Club’s dedicated website page.
At the last City Matters election in 2022, over 3,000 fans cast their vote to elect Angela Worrall and Michael Ash as their new fan representatives for Season Ticket Members and Over 65s respectively.
In line with the Premier League’s Fan Engagement Standard framework, the Club will publish a Fan Engagement Plan prior to the start of the 2023/24 season.
You can read more about the Fan Engagement Standard here.
