An invite is extended to fans of Wigan Athletic coming to the Fans’ Weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday.
The Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) and Supporters Direct (SD) are coming together to host the Fans’ Weekend for the first time this Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July, an event supported by The Co-operative.
Fans will listen to Saturday’s keynote speech by football journalist Gabriel Marcotti. Speaking at Covent Garden’s Grand Connaught Rooms Marcotti will discuss TV rights in the modern, digital era, and examine how this changes the fan experience at a domestic and international level.
Former Fulham Supporters’ Trust Chair Tom Greatrex, now an MP for the Labour/Co-op Party, will also feature on a ‘Football Question Time’ panel, chaired by journalist and writer David Conn, alongside new SD Chief Executive David Lampitt and FSF Chair Malcolm Clarke.
David Conn will also be signing copies of his new book at the event, ‘Richer than God, Manchester City, Modern Football and Growing Up’.
The evening sees the sold out annual FSF Writers Awards at the same venue, whilst Sunday moves to the home of Enfield Town FC for the tenth annual Supporters Direct Cup, alongside a game for the SD Shield.
Speaking about the event, FSF Chair and supporter-representative on the FA Council Malcolm Clarke said:
“The FSF and SD are two sides of the same coin and I am delighted we are coming together for the Fans’ Weekend. This is a very important time for football fans with the game facing many challenges.
“Whether it is the cost of attending matches, concerns about ownership, the need for clubs to live within their means, safe standing, or the quality of policing and stewarding – together we can make real progress on protecting and improving the game we love.”
SD’s new Chief Executive David Lampitt said:
“SD and The FSF have distinct roles in football, and our relationship is a very important one. It is important that we speak collectively about the values and vision we share, and also that we seek to further the understanding of the roles and challenges facing supporters in general.”
Workshops covering some of the core issues in modern football will run throughout the day with a range of expert speakers including a workshop on lobbying with leading European public affairs agency Burson Marsteller.
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