Newcastle United have appointed nine supporters to their new ‘Fan Advisory Board’ [FAB] after receiving 400 applications for just five roles in recent weeks, with the club opening a ‘two-way dialogue’ with local and international fans.
Four seats on the board were given to fan group representatives, while there is also representation for season ticket holders and members, young fans and international fans.
Members of the FAB will have a say on matters such as club’s strategic vision and objectives, business operations, stadium and key matchday issues, as well as any relevant heritage items, community activities and the club’s equality, diversity and inclusion commitments.
Late last year 72 per cent of Newcastle supporters surveyed said they would be interested in joining the FAB when it launched. That interest was clear with hundreds of failed applicants.
Sarah Medcalf, Newcastle’s head of supporter services, said: “We would like to extend a warm welcome to each of our nine FAB members and thank everyone who took the time to apply.
The five successful applicants have gone through a comprehensive appointment process with input from independent panel members, and we look forward to them joining supporters from three established supporter groups at our first formal meeting in the February.”
Fans from the Newcastle United Supporters Trust, Paul Karter and Adam Stoker, have been appointed, along with Joe Ayton from Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association and Claire Wintrip from United with Pride.
The five successful applicants include: Thomas Symonds for the under-25 representation, Marion Williams and Michael McCarthy (season ticket holders) and Rajat Nayyar (member). US-based Natalie Noyes is there on behalf of international fans.
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