AFC Bournemouth
The club has recently gone through a round of supporters’ group meetings, which have been grouped closer together than usual due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the January transfer window.
Minutes from the meeting with the Equality Focus Group, which convened at Vitality Stadium on 24th March 2022.
Attendees:
- Liz Finney (LF)
- Steve Cuss (SC)
- Hannah Powis (HP)
- John Jennings (JJ)
- Matt Payne (MP)
- Matt Sturgeon (MS)
- Chris Ashton (CA)
- Lin Travers (LT)
- Louise Clarke (LC)
- Sarah Jelfs (SJ)
- Emma Young (EY)
- Simon Shave (SS)
Apologies
- Mark Dean (MD)
- Rob Trent (RT)
- Rachel Maidment (RM)
- Princess Beckford (PB)
- Nick Bishop (NB)
Minutes:
- HP welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave a short introduction into her background before the role, everyone gave a quick introduction to the rest of the group.
- HP spoke through the key directions for the role, PLEDIS requirements and the groups involvement in this moving forwards.
- HP discussed that the club are looking to build better links with the community and asked the group to email in with any suggestions for local community groups/events the club can be involved with.
Everyone together
- HP discussed that Everyone, Together will be relaunched but stay in its original format in terms of content.
- Looking to tell new stories and HP/LF asked the group to think about any potential supporters we could involve in the relaunch.
- CA suggested looking backwards from the last campaign to any groups that were under represented.
- MS suggested that a mental health story be a feature. LC and CA mentioned Hannah’s story which focused on mental health but the group still felt this was an important topic to be highlighted.
- HP spoke about a new campaign which will come under the umbrella of Everyone, Together predominantly focused on anti-discrimination, anti-hate and against online abuse.
- MP spoke further around around Everyone, Together explaining that it is a huge part of our club and has formed the basis for one of the kits for the 22/23 season.
- MP showed the group the kit concept and further discussed the campaign and how this links in to to the clubs overall EDI strategy. The group all agreed that they felt the campaign was relevant and important.
Matchday Feedback
- HP asked the group for matchday feedback and gave updated around the following:
- Accessible parking – LF/HP discussed that we are undertaking a review of the accessible parking process over the next 5 home games so this can be reviewed ahead of the new season.
- LT discussed that feedback around stewards has been good.
- The group commented that generally their matchday experience has been good, particularly with stewards.
- The group discussed people standing at the front of the the stands prior to kick off and at half time and that stewards seemed to find it difficult to seat people.
- HP highlighted the challenges around this and LF identified that the club will be looking to trail hatching on the ground to aid this process as this was a suggestion from another supporter group.
- SS bought up that the accessibility team have been helpful in moving people or assisting him in moving forwards.
- CA bought up that at a previous game they had come into contact with someone who had been turned away from the concourses trying to pay in cash, he went on to say that 12% of the population are cash dependant.
- LF explained that although card/contactless payment is preferred, cash should still be an option.
- LF will look into this to ensure that there is still an option to pay with cash.
AOB
- HP advised that MD had raised accessible parking and that this point was dealt with earlier in the meeting.
- RM had sent in a query about having an option for a women's only search queue at some of the entrances into the ground.
- LF discussed this from an operational point of view advising that demand means that we need to use all the stewards for searching but that emphasis is put on ensuring that the women are not sent to the back of the queue to be searched by a female steward in the stewards briefing.
- SC discussed the women’s team game on the 10th April: ticket sales have been good, almost at target our first target of 1,000 but any help from the group in promoting the game would be welcome.
- HP added that two questions have been asked about the women’s team in the supporter monitoring survey which will give more insight.
- LF spoke around the suggestion of a separated disabled supporters association being raised at another supporter group meeting and asked the group to confirm if they think this would be beneficial.
- As previously when this matter was raised, the group again confirmed that they do not think a separate group would be beneficial. Rather, having everyone involved in the EFG is more inclusive than splitting up individual groups.
- MS suggested that the women’s team could be involved in the meet and greet/Q&A in hospitality to help raise the profile of the women’s team and it was agreed that this was a good idea.
- LF advised the group that fans champion will be returning and asked the group to put forward any suggestions they had for this.
