Confirmed PNE Fan Advisory Network Launch – How PNE Online Is Involved.

[JK]

📢 Get Involved: Preston North End’s Fan Advisory Network (FAN)
DETAILS AT THE CLUBS OFFICIAL WEBSITE

As some of you will have seen, the football club has today launched the application process for its new Fan Advisory Network (FAN) — a formal platform for supporter representation and dialogue with the club. It’s part of a national push for greater transparency and fan engagement, and one I believe has the potential to outlast any current ownership, boardroom setup or first-team manager.


I (JK) have been involved in the creation of this process, representing PNE Online throughout, and as outlined in the Terms of Reference, that representation will continue moving forward with a reserved seat for our community — a recognition of just how active and influential this forum has become.


Now, let’s be clear — whilst I’ve had my own personal differences with the club’s hierarchy in recent times, I’ve come to the view that it’s better to have a seat at the table than to keep banging on the door from outside. If nothing else, we ensure the most active group of North Enders — you lot — are heard where it matters.


However, this isn’t just about PNE Online. The application is open to any supporter, and I strongly encourage some of you to consider putting your names forward. We’ve got members here whose skills, experience or just sheer passion for North End would be a huge asset to the group.


Once the initial appointments are made, I’ll be creating a dedicated FAN section exclusively for PNE Online Patrons. In line with Football Supporters’ Association guidelines (of which we are an associate member), this section will allow us to:

• Discuss FAN-related matters
• Collect views on key issues
• Vote on how I, or other reps, feed into club discussions

This is a genuine opportunity to shape how our club engages with its supporters — not just now, but for years to come. So if you care about the direction of PNE, get involved.


🗳 For More details and to Apply:
CLICK HERE

💬 Discussion, feedback and questions welcome below.

 

[Doyler]

Can we get rid of it completely and bring back the fans forums?

 

[JK]

Can we get rid of it completely and bring back the fans forums?

Both PNE Online and the Preston Supporters Collective have consistently pushed the Chairman and the wider club for the return of fans forums in some form.

We’ve suggested everything from the traditional face-to-face forums, to open online sessions and small group formats — essentially any model that allows for direct, in-person communication. From personal experience, meeting with individual fans behind closed doors causes more problems than it solves and doesn't reflect the wider fanbase.

Unfortunately, it’s not something the club is currently willing to engage with.

 

[Thracia]

Unfortunately, it’s not something the club is currently willing to engage with.

So much for fan engagement.

Presumably this at least means the separate PSC meetings will now be discontinued?

Pointless having both, especially with the membership overlap between the two groups.

 

[JK]

So much for fan engagement.

Presumably this at least means the separate PSC meetings will now be discontinued?

Pointless having both, especially with the membership overlap between the two groups.

No, this is separate to any other interactions that ourselves or PSC have with the football club.

If you read the terms of reference (which I am sure you will) it explains the purpose of the FAN is a lot of detail.

We are 'fan groups' in our own right and I for one will ensure we remain independent of that. Anyone who puts themselves forward as an individual are representing themselves and not the fans groups, we hope to get as wider range of views, skills and perspectives as we can. We are always being told by a certain section of the fanbase that we are in the minority and the majority's views never get put across, well this is their chance.

 

[Alpine White]

Question JK.. it seems this is open to international fans. Would us Exiles be able to participate in discussions/decisions and even the interview remotely (via Zoom or whatever)?

 

[JK]

Question JK.. it seems this is open to international fans. Would us Exiles be able to participate in discussions/decisions and even the interview remotely (via Zoom or whatever)?

Of course, it is open to anyone, wherever you may be.

 

[Thracia]

No, this is separate to any other interactions that ourselves or PSC have with the football club.

If you read the terms of reference (which I am sure you will) it explains the purpose of the FAN is a lot of detail.

We are 'fan groups' in our own right and I for one will ensure we remain independent of that. Anyone who puts themselves forward as an individual are representing themselves and not the fans groups, we hope to get as wider range of views, skills and perspectives as we can. We are always being told by a certain section of the fanbase that we are in the minority and the majority's views never get put across, well this is their chance.

Yeah, I read the documentation when they launched it last season as Ben's Chums.

It felt very box-ticky - compliant with EFL fan engagement requirements while designed to engage with as few actual fans as possible.

Good luck with it though. Will be interesting to see if it can develop in constructive and useful ways, rather than becoming an irrelevance like those PSC meetings.

 

[JK]

Yeah, I read the documentation when they launched it last season as Ben's Chums.

It felt very box-ticky - compliant with EFL fan engagement requirements while designed to engage with as few actual fans as possible.

Good luck with it though. Will be interesting to see if it can develop in constructive and useful ways, rather than becoming an irrelevance like those PSC meetings.

I completely understand your reservations, I share some of them myself. It absolutely has the potential to become something meaningful, but that will depend entirely on how all parties choose to engage with it.

That said, I’ll continue to do my best to represent our members and wider PNE Online community to the best of my ability, as I always have.

Just to be clear though, this will have no bearing on the independence of this forum or how it’s run.

 

[King Sav]

So much for fan engagement.

Presumably this at least means the separate PSC meetings will now be discontinued?

Pointless having both, especially with the membership overlap between the two groups.

No. Because they will be doing different things and this one is not up and running.

 

[King Sav]

Yeah, I read the documentation when they launched it last season as Ben's Chums.

It felt very box-ticky - compliant with EFL fan engagement requirements while designed to engage with as few actual fans as possible.

Good luck with it though. Will be interesting to see if it can develop in constructive and useful ways, rather than becoming an irrelevance like those PSC meetings.

I take exception that our meetings are “irrelevant”
They have raised lots in the last 4 years that has forced the club to look at some its issues.
Season Ticket pricing being a perfect example,
None of these meetings are easy. Fans expectations that you can just demand or castigate the club into change are not realistic.
Communication channels are important to keep banging the drum about issues that are important to fans

 

[Thracia]

I take exception that our meetings are “irrelevant”
They have raised lots in the last 4 years that has forced the club to look at some its issues.
Season Ticket pricing being a perfect example,
None of these meetings are easy. Fans expectations that you can just demand or castigate the club into change are not realistic.
Communication channels are important to keep banging the drum about issues that are important to fans

I've read the minutes - since Ridsdale stopped attending, it's just been Ben Rhodes blindsiding you guys on important topics like withdrawal of coach travel last season etc., and an endless repetition of "Sodexo are here for 8 years/Castore are here for 3 years, so if you have problems with them, too bad".

 

[King Sav]

Tha

I've read the minutes - since Ridsdale stopped attending, it's just been Ben Rhodes blindsiding you guys on important topics like withdrawal of coach travel last season etc., and an endless repetition of "Sodexo are here for 8 years/Castore are here for 3 years, so if you have problems with them, too bad".

That coach travel was dealt with. We talked with BR, he was away on holiday when that comms went out and it was rectified. That’s how it works. Communication.
It isn’t perfect, nothing is. But it’s far better than none at all

 

[norfolk white]

I wonder if the font of all footballing knowledge (AW) will be one to apply? 🤷‍♂️

 

[Ando60]

I wonder if the font of all footballing knowledge (AW) will be one to apply? 🤷‍♂️

Probably !!

 

[Staffordwhite]

I wonder if the font of all footballing knowledge (AW) will be one to apply? 🤷‍♂️

I'd vote for him, just to piss them off. 😅

Notwithstanding his personal, errr, style there's no way he'd get through the 'selection process' which will weed out any deplorables.

They don't want dissenting voices - and they definitely don't want to hear them in public.

(These meetings could easily be livestreamed. They won't be.)

With the best will in the world, even if @JK or @kingsav go off piste, it's been deliberately set up on the club's terms in a Kafka-esque style to drown them out.

As I've said elsewhere, they talk about being open and transparent, then lace the whole thing with 'confidentiality' clauses, 'collective responsibility' lines and a written requirement to be 'polite' (a pretty subjective term) to those at the club (guess who) including when online.

Say something someone (guess who) regards as 'unfair' on here, upset an anonymous complainant, or do anything else apart from toe the line and you face being kicked out for SIX YEARS.

Good luck to everyone getting involved - and I salute those that do - but it reeks of the club ducking out of holding open fans' forums by setting up a very controlled talking shop that ticks whatever inconvenient boxes they have to tick.

Distract, divide, conquer - and carry on regardless.

 

[Thracia]

I'd vote for him, just to piss them off. 😅

Notwithstanding his personal, errr, style there's no way he'd get through the 'selection process' which will weed out any deplorables.

They don't want dissenting voices - and they definitely don't want to hear them in public.

(These meetings could easily be livestreamed. They won't be.)

With the best will in the world, even if @JK or @kingsav go off piste, it's been deliberately set up on the club's terms in a Kafka-esque style to drown them out.

As I've said elsewhere, they talk about being open and transparent, then lace the whole thing with 'confidentiality' clauses, 'collective responsibility' lines and a written requirement to be 'polite' (a pretty subjective term) to those at the club (guess who) including when online.

Say something someone (guess who) regards as 'unfair' on here, upset an anonymous complainant, or do anything else apart from toe the line and you face being kicked out for SIX YEARS.

Good luck to everyone getting involved - and I salute those that do - but it reeks of the club ducking out of holding open fans' forums by setting up a very controlled talking shop that ticks whatever inconvenient boxes they have to tick.

Distract, divide, conquer - and carry on regardless.

Wow, they obviously spent more time drafting that Code Of Conduct & Disciplinary Process than anything else - designed to silence all dissent, on all platforms and social media known or yet to be invented! If you're inside the tent, be aware you'll only be pissing down your own leg.

It sounds so inclusive and open to all points-of-view, I'm sure they'll get lots of valuable work done.

 

[LostinSpace]

Of course, it is open to anyone, wherever you may be.

So there's no need to live in and around Preston to attend meetings for example?

 

[billymac]

I take it BR/PR will be the people selecting the team to be part of the "sycophants charter" I might just apply to see how far I get!!!

 

[Dannypne7]

I take it BR/PR will be the people selecting the team to be part of the "sycophants charter" I might just apply to see how far I get!!!

With a load of work and life experience and a functioning brain under your belt, I'd give the Sycophants' Round Table a wide berth if I were you - especially with Court Jester Ridsdull prancing about at the head of it. Let the grovelling for a seat at his table commence; I too will preserve my dignity and enjoy the farce from a safe distance.