Supporter Liaison Officers to be introduced by UEFA
It is not often that the powers that govern football get good press, but one interesting policy development by UEFA is worth highlighting.
Under Article 35 of the 2010 UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, clubs competing in UEFA competitions will be required to appoint a Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) before the beginning of the 2012/13 season, to ensure that dialogue between supporters and their clubs remains open and constructive.
The introduction of SLOs across Europe will hopefully help to ensure fans have a voice at their respective clubs. All too often, clubs and associations take decisions affecting fans without ever having involved them in the decision-making process or taken the trouble to listen to their views. Thankfully this does not happen at Palace! Having an advocate inside the club should serve to remedy this situation.
Supporters Direct has played a big part in bringing about Article 35 and its efforts have since been acknowledged by the British government in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry on Football Governance: “The Government believes that every club should have a dedicated and mandatory supporter liaison officer.” Let’s hope that the relationship between clubs and supporters across England become as strong as they are here at Selhurst Park.
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