Last week, Brentford FC held its first fan advisory board (FAB) meeting as part of its ongoing commitment to fan engagement and consultation.

Fan advisory boards are a key element of the Premier League’s fan engagement standard (FES) published last month.

At the first meeting, representatives from the club joined those from the Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS) and the Brentford Supporters’ Trust, Bees United, with the meeting co-chaired by the chair of each fan group.

Agenda points for FAB meetings are agreed in advance between the club and FAB members. The aim is that this will be a strategic forum to ensure that the club and fan groups work together effectively to ensure the best experience possible for all supporters, and to support the overall success of the club.

The FAB will not be involved in matters on the pitch such as player signings or tactics and some topics of discussion may be commercially sensitive and therefore not able to be publicly shared.

This group will continue to be supported and advised by a number of working groups involving fans that are already in place at the club, covering topics like ticketing, food and drink; fan behaviour; women and girls; and the Brentford Disabled Supporters' Association.

A key focus for this meeting was how the group will operate and whether and when additional representatives might be required.

The club’s finance director also led a discussion about the club’s financial situation and outlook, and there were also updates on the club’s sustainability strategy; overall stewarding operations; plans to mark the club’s centenary of starting to wear red and white stripes (at the end of the 2024/25 season); and an overview of working group meetings up to the end of June.

More details on the points discussed at the first FAB meeting can be found here.