Chesterfield FC plans to give fans a bigger say and to become a 'pilot club' for the Independent Football Regulator
Chesterfield FC is to set up a new fans’ group giving a wider range supporters a bigger say on day-to-day matters at their club.
One of the requirements set by the new Independent Football Regulator is that clubs in the top five tiers of English football must establish a designated representative supporters’ group and consult with them regularly on strategic, operational and heritage matters.
The existing Chesterfield FC Supporters' Forum already has a monthly drop-in at the SMH Group Stadium to gather views on how matchday experiences at home and away can be improved as well as other issues.
Speaking at this week’s annual fans’ forum at the SMH, chairman Ashley Kirk indicated the recommended group would be more wide-reaching.
“One thing we will be doing in the next few months is to liaise heavily with fans,” he said.
"We have this fans’ forum and we have the forum that meets on the other side of the stadium but we need to put together at some point a group that represents the whole fan group.
"We are probably looking at getting supporters from each part of the stadium and a nice mix of ages and demographics and have the board liaise with them.”
As reported elsewhere, from the 2027/28 season all 116 clubs across the Premier League, EFL and top tier of the National League must obtain and maintain an operating licence from the Independent Football Regulator in order to compete.
The requirements include meeting standards of financial sustainability, governance, diversity and fan engagement.
Mr Kirk said Chesterfield had “stuck their hand up” to be a pilot club and CEO John Croot was at an EFL meeting this week partly in relation to that.
"The club has a meeting next month where people are coming in to go through the first strategic plan which we submitted a month ago,” said Mr Kirk. “Hopefully that will result in us getting a pilot licence during the course of this season.”
In the meantime, the new supporters’ group remains high on the agenda.
"Watch this space,” added Mr Kirk. “I’m sure there will be more communication coming soon but that will be first thing that takes root in terms of how the fans are protected.
"It’s also about the fans protecting the club from owners and directors that might lead it in a different direction away from them.
"It can be obvious things like the prices in the ground but it can be also along the lines of the matchday experience and what communication they are getting from the media team etc. All that sort of stuff might come into play and we need to take a lead on that.”