Albion’s newly-established Fan Advisory Board (FAB) met with club officials for the first time in October and a summary of the meeting can be found below.
Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting - The Hawthorns.
Thursday, October 16, 2025 - 6pm.
The following is a general summary of the meeting and contains no direct quotations.
Supporters can learn more about the role of the FAB, here, while member profiles can be found, here – and the FAB constitution, here.
Club attendees: Ian Skidmore (Co-Chair, Director of Communications & Fan Engagement), Ashish Patel (Chief Marketing Officer), Chris Harris (Director of Operations & SHE (Safety, Health & Environment)), Rob Lake (Director of The Albion Foundation), Rachel Rankin (Head of Marketing).
FAB attendees: Dan Head (Co-Chair), Richard Jefferson (Co-chair), Christian Black, Clare Sidaway, Hannah Butler, Shin Aujla.
Apologies: Dean Walton, Ben Deeley and Sarah Kerton.
Ashley Brown, Head of Supporter Engagement and Governance at the Football Supporters’ Association, who has assisted the club in establishing a FAB, was also in attendance.
OPENING & INTRODUCTIONS
Ian Skidmore (IS) welcomed attendees, read out the apologies, and thanked everyone for their contributions so far.
APPOINTMENTS & CONSTITUTION
The FAB ratified the appointments of Dan Head as Co-Chair and Richard Jefferson as Vice-Chair.
The constitution was then amended to include an Apna Albion seat. The maximum number of FAB representatives was also increased from nine to 10, and the FSA-approved group seats were increased from three to four. This was ratified by the FAB members in attendance.
CLUB STRUCTURE & COMMUNICATION
Ashish Patel (AP) outlined the football club’s new leadership structure. This is Andrew Nestor as President, AP as the Chief Marketing Officer (overseeing consumer-facing operations), Ethan Gobetz as Chief Financial Officer, and Chris Harris as Director of Operations & SHE (Safety, Health & Environment).
AP confirmed there will be further appointments to the leadership team. There was a discussion regarding internal promotions against external recruitment, and how workflow and project management systems would be implemented to ensure operational continuity.
ALBION ASSEMBLY AND FAB
During this agenda item, it was explained that the FAB is a smaller strategic group, while the Albion Assembly (AA) is a larger group, which retains an important engagement role. IS said the FAB objectives would be shared with the AA for transparency, and the FAB’s fan engagement plan will clarify the roles and relationships, including a visual diagram.
FAB OBJECTIVES
There is a desire to define measurable objectives during the first 12 months of the FAB. Members will take ownership for specific areas, and an agreement was put in place to formalise objectives after further meetings.
GOVERNANCE: CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF EXPANSION & FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
The meeting progressed to how the club can sustain finances without Premier League income, alongside focusing on talent development, commercial growth, and market expansion in the United States. It was confirmed that the club is aiming to gain representation in various EFL working groups, and that no formal updates from the league had been given on proposals regarding the play-offs.
MATCH DAY EXPERIENCE
The club said that safe standing in the Smethwick End and Millennium Corner has had a positive impact on safety and atmosphere - and suggested there could be a potential expansion into the Birmingham Road End in the future.
The group talked through PA system challenges, and they explored solutions, alongside improvements to areas such as accessibility (including sign language on screens) and concourses (including staff training).
Ticketing issues for disabled fans were raised by representatives, and the club said a permission-based system was in development.
The recently implemented access control system (Teamcard) and 2025/26 e-ticketing transition were both discussed, as well as how support has been provided for older supporters. The ticket exchange system was explained, clarifying that the success depends on seat desirability and general admission sales being high.
Furthermore, it was confirmed season ticket pricing will be an agenda item at the next meeting - and the club confirmed they support a £30 cap on away ticket pricing.
KIT AND CLUB IDENTITY
AP outlined the process of kit design, EFL approval, manufacturing and delivery, confirming that the kits for the 2026/27 season have already been designed and ordered. AP previewed the direction of the 2026/27 kit designs to the FAB, who responded favourably. It was agreed that the FAB would be involved in the kit design process for the 2027/28 season.
FAMILY INITIATIVES & BRONZE STATUS
Next, the conversation moved on to mascot visibility and family engagement, plans for a new mascot, and improved matchday storytelling.
The club said the kit and ticket bundle for kids was well received, and confirmed first-match certificates and birthday recognitions were in place.
Albion’s Family Excellence status was explained (snapshot-based scoring) and improvements to elements like food options and the post-match bar had been made based on feedback.
Finally, website and app updates were being completed to improve both accessibility and engagement.
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & SAFETY - ABUSE REPORTING
The club reiterated their commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on abuse and hate crime, and stated that a QR code for reporting incidents is being introduced for ease and anonymity.
Albion also explained how they initially prefer educational exclusion over outright bans - when appropriate - and how a low reoffending rate had been noted by using that method.
CLUB APP & COMMUNICATIONS
IS & RR said ticketing and club apps are evolving and new features will include matchday guides and tailored messaging. The new website and app design launched last month, and suggestions were welcomed for any app improvements going forward.
TRANSPORT & ACCESSIBILITY
Those in attendance talked about long-standing traffic issues, and how the club were not responsible for infrastructure but does actively engage with authorities. Park and ride options have been explored previously, they said, and logistical challenges for the area around The Hawthorns were noted.
The group raised rail transport reliability concerns, and said there was potential for parking partnerships with local businesses in the future.
ONGOING ENGAGEMENT
A proposal for an FAB Twitter account was made. And there was a discussion regarding the need to distinguish between complaints and strategic feedback, alongside an agreement to develop structured agendas for future meetings.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Lastly, during the AOB section, concerns were raised over the supporters’ club being charged for room hire, though the club clarified that the fee charged only covered operational costs. There was an acknowledgement of the PR impact and a commitment to review.