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Football clubs as community assets
How a fan-led review and ‘golden share’ have been key initiatives in preparing for regulatory change
REGULATION
David Lowes
Director, Lincoln City FC
David Lowes
Director, Lincoln City FC
Issue 76 | February 2025
We welcome the Football Governance Bill as a significant moment for our sport. This is because it recognises football clubs as community assets and represents a step towards an improved and fairer system at every level in this country.
In getting Lincoln City ‘regulation ready’ – ensuring we are prepared to proactively action change as opposed to reacting to developments – we wanted to be ready, not just for the mandatory elements, but also to identify areas we could go above and beyond.
This meant putting our fans at the forefront of our work. So, what steps have we taken to achieve this?
Fan-led review
Taking key learnings from the original Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, overseen by former Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch, we reassessed our approach as to how we interact, listen and action what the lifeblood of our club – the supporters – have to say.
We formed a fan-led review working group consisting of club and fan representatives in September 2022. Our aim was to collaboratively consider how new legislation might impact our club and supporters, but also improve fan engagement and representation.
Seven commitments
The proposals from our fan-led review group were presented at a board meeting alongside recommendations on how the review may be adopted. This resulted in the publication of our seven fan-led review commitments:
- We will be ready for independent regulation
- We will work to ensure extensive reach and representation of our fan base
- We will create a golden share known as ‘the fans’ share’
- We will have a nominated board-level official for fan engagement
- We will maintain a strong relationship with the Community Trust as holders of the fans’ share
- We will maintain a strong partnership with the Fan Advisory Board in representing fan interests
- We will be guided by a fan engagement strategy, executed through a board-approved annual fan engagement plan
As a result of a newly implemented fan engagement strategy, we strengthened communications and relations with our fan advisory board, Community Trust and supporter groups.
This was also the catalyst for positive changes within the Trust and Fan Advisory Board, resulting in more effective practices, enhanced dialogue and greater understanding. It made us reflect on what we wanted our legacy to be as custodians of this fantastic club.
Fans’ golden share
We believe the creation of the fans’ golden share – a single share in Lincoln City held by the Community Trust which allows supporters to have a say on key matters – will be a big part of this. We are incredibly proud to become only the third team in England to issue such a share and it means our fans will decide on developments such as a stadium move, the team’s name, badge, colours or name of the Stacey West Stand.
This is by no means ‘job done’ and our board including the two fan-elected directors are constantly seeking ways to further improve our fan engagement.
Next steps
Beyond our immediate environment, the Football Governance Bill also puts us on the right path to a fairer ecosystem. I use this term instead of ‘pyramid’ as this is how we view the game: we are all interdependent on one another, as opposed to purely bound by a hierarchy defined by league position.
There has to be a better way to distribute finances, ensure competitive balance and address the issues which exist within the financial model of our game.
