Fans Forum Meeting Minutes – Women
CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN FORUM
2024-25, 1st MEETING MINUTES
Meeting held in Millennium Suite 8 at Stamford Bridge at 6.30pm on Tuesday 22nd October 2024
Attendees Club title/ group represented
Baker, Chris Club, Head of Matchday Safety
Bates, Chester Chelsea Women Supporters Group
Bromfield, Gillian Chelsea Supporters Trust
Brown, Tracy Fan Advisory Board
Clarkson, Megan Club, Senior Supporter Services Manager
Cornall, Mike Club, Head of Supporter Relations
Curteis, Sam Club, Supporter Liaison Officer
Daine, Nav Club, Regional Manager for Retail Operations at Levy
Formosa, Lawrence Overseas
Greenfield, Michelle Chelsea Supporters Group
Hayyez, Nick 65 or over
Kingsman, Simon Kingsmeadow Supporters Group
Knox, Saffra Female
Metzger, Cashel Ethnically and culturally diverse
Rattigan, Linda Chelsea Pride
Regan, Andy Forum Chair
Rodrigues, Stan WSL Stamford Bridge package
Shahrestani, Nadia Club, Chelsea Women Head of Stadium Revenue
Smith, Graham Club, Head of Ticketing
Sokeyo, Naomi Family
Stephens, Ed Club, Chelsea Women Marketing Lead
West, Darren Club Chelsea
Weymes-McElderry, Sophie LGBTQI+
Wittich, Margaret Chelsea Supporters Club
Apologies for absence
Andrews, Faye Kingsmeadow season ticket (“ST”) holder
Davis, Marriane Co-opted
Harrington, Abbie Access
MacKay, Holly 16-21 year old
Quinlan, Jacqueline Away ticket
(Action points are underlined.)
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
There were no changes to the last minutes. Action points were as follows:
Choice of seats
The Club commented that it has little control over fan preference for away match seating as the order of sales is determined by the away team. There can be unreserved seating as well.
Main Kingsmeadow bar
The West Stand is open to all but supporters have to enter the stadium first, as all entrants need to have a valid ticket that is scanned. The Club needs to know who is in the stadium in the case of an emergency and prevent anyone without a ticket being in the stadium.
Avoiding men’s and women’s ticket sale clashes
The Club avoids such clashes wherever possible. There can be complaints from some fans if a sales time is changed, so you can always log on anyway and there are likely to be tickets left for the women’s match when you get through to purchase.
Website purchase process
A representative clarified that you have to go through the first menu to get to the ticketing page then select a game. The Club said fans can set up a link straight to their online ticket account page.
Kingsmeadow toilet adverts for health/ mental health assistance
The Club is working with the Foundation on this and the Foundation’s new CEO will be looking at this.
TV cameras at Kingsmeadow obscuring access fan views
The Club said it’s worked with the league and TV companies on this. As camera positions in the North Stand are needed, those seats won’t be sold in order to avoid this problem recurring. A representative said the camera team appeared to randomly take up a particular position for a match. The Club said it has stipulated where they shouldn’t be placed this season.
AGENDA ITEMS
Televised match schedules and implications
The Club said the general rule is that Premier League changes have to be made six weeks before and it’s 28 days for Super League fixtures. We therefore fit around the men’s dates and also need to work out which matches are at Stamford Bridge. The local authority and stakeholders are involved for a Stamford Bridge match. That’s why there is a two week gap between the men’s and women’s matches. There was an anomaly with the Manchester United match which is a different matter and has still not been resolved.
A representative said it can’t assist ticket sales when there are such late changes. The Club added there is no set live match day for televised women’s games. We’ve been picked for the first ten rounds as a live fixture for the women’s team. We don’t want to be in a situation where we have to move a big match to a Friday again but TV revenue and exposure are really important for the women’s team. The Club added it contacted the authorities a few years ago to request fewer clashes. It’s a big staffing issue for the Club if we have two matches in a day.
We are all trying to achieve the same split of matches with maximum advance notice and will continue to work with the leagues.
In response to a question about compensation for the Manchester United match, the Club said terms and conditions set out that there is no such compensation. We highlighted a possible problem with the European date long before the match. UEFA planned its dates over a year ago. It is frustrating for all. There was only a week between the women’s draw and the first European match. We have to work around UEFA’s dates for other matches.
A representative added it’s unfair to have to choose between home matches on the same day.
Kingsmeadow seat availability
A representative complained you need a medical letter to obtain particular seats. The Club said only ten people didn’t renew their STs there this season so any moves to those seats were based on medical grounds.
The West and North Stands are usually sold out a fortnight before a match. We may get some official seats or away seats released but that’s not guaranteed so they are held until late. More seating at Kingsmeadow generally would greatly reduce capacity. The East Stand capacity would go down a lot with perhaps three or four rows of seats and reconfiguration generally. Renewals were later than usual for this season which didn’t help assisting fans who wanted to move.
A representative added the Club can’t keep medical information on fans due to GDPR.
Selfies/ meet and greets
A representative said exiting from the front row of the West Stand is better now but acknowledges the issue has split fans. Kids are missing out now. Another added that security didn’t stop the rush by fans to the front recently.
The Club commented this was also raised last season and we can’t allow children only in the area, without parents or guardians alongside. We have to avoid crush risks in the stadium and around the car park. There is also an issue with player time in doing selfies and greeting fans as the manager may not want this. A representative added that Lauren received criticism for not going to fans after a recent match but in fact had to go straight to a mandatory drugs test.
Another added that selfies were allowed at the Feyenoord friendly. The Club said we have to be patient for everyone to get used to the new system and the stadium was only half full for that friendly match. Other clubs had this system in place and the safety aspect has to come first. Some stadia have autograph areas in more modern facilities. We are reviewing when we can repeat such fan interaction.
In response to a question, the Club said we are not allowed training sessions at Stamford Bridge this season given the large number of games. Also half terms are in international breaks during the academic year. As regards a potential Christmas party, it’s the women’s winter break at that time of year and we haven’t had such an event for the men’s team for many years. We are considering signed photos for fans as a possibility.
The Club added it learnt lessons from the Feyenoord match for meet and greet arrangements. We want some interaction but there can be a limit as to how much the players can stand around. Also we don’t want fans rushing towards the players. A representative added that the podcast and social media generally has helped with communication.
The Club said that involving injured players instead will vary according to the individual injury, so Sam standing for an hour after a match during recovery wouldn’t help. We hope to have an event at the Megastore. Those not in the squad on a match day are more likely to carry out such signings.
Food and drink
As regards Kingsmeadow, a representative said there is a drinks bar in the North Stand but limited food there as regards quality and quantity/ portion sizes. The Club said it knows the facilities of the West Stand aren’t replicated in other parts of the ground and the issue comes down to infrastructure. Portion sizes are the same throughout the ground. We welcome suggestions about pre-packaged options and have introduced draught bar items in a mobile vehicle. More packaged drinks can be considered too.
In response to a question, the cabins behind the North Stand are used for storage and the Club is assessing if it can use that space to sell pre-packaged items.
Sensory room/ disability access guides
A representative said even a small sensory space would be appreciated, acknowledging that planning permission would be needed. Another added that with a higher proportion of children attending at Kingsmeadow, such an area would be helpful. The Club said the North Stand areas would need a complete revamp for the existing structures, as would other areas. There is a space shortage but we agree with the need and will review the possibilities.
The Club added it has a new Disability Access Officer who is updating the access guide at Stamford Bridge then will provide such a guide for Kingsmeadow. The Club will review facilities there for access fans as part of that process.
Bag searches
A representative said there’s only one person conducting bag searches for the West Stand. The Club said there are three checking in the South-west corner. The representative added there ended up being a male queue and a female queue last Sunday.
The Club said it is very difficult to hire female security and stewarding staff and is aware that Kingsmeadow in particular needs a higher proportion of female staff for many matches.
The Club confirmed bag searches are conducted at Stamford Bridge on non-match days as well. Fans arriving earlier helps with the bottle neck here and at Kingsmeadow.
Half-time entertainment
It was suggested that a penalty shoot out or a half time guest makes half-time more interesting. A shoot out would be some compensation for not having access to players. It was commented that interviews, substitute warm ups and watering the pitch at half time at Kingsmeadow present a challenge. The Club said it’s easier to have such half time events at Stamford Bridge matches.
Banners/ atmosphere
The Club said it will check the positioning of banner clips in the West Stand at Kingsmeadow, as they used to be there.
A representative compared the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge with Barcelona and Manchester City for European matches, though they are purpose built stadia. The Club responded that it’s restricted, as Kingsmeadow doesn’t meet UEFA standards. For matches here we had six days to sell tickets for a match recently and also we have to pay for road closures if the crowd is larger than 5,000.
In response to a question about potential crowd problems with Celtic here, the Club said the away allocation is 5% so a 40,000 crowd here would mean 2,000 fans. We could cap capacity and Celtic would receive fewer tickets proportionately. There is intelligence coming in about this match and the Shamrock men’s match. The women’s match being on general sale needs to be taken into consideration. We could limit sales to ST holders and members obtaining one ticket each. We know they are high risk games.
Celtic away
The Club said it intends to run unsubsidised coach travel, perhaps at around £60-70.
Exiting Stamford Bridge
A representative raised the issue that travel home after the recent European match here was potentially dangerous as Fulham Road wasn’t closed. The Club said it could reduce capacity further to combat the risks. We work with the local authority and are always reviewing safety for matches played here. The local authority would like to reduce the crowd size for traffic management reasons anyway when Fulham Road isn’t closed, and we will look at increasing our messaging for such scenarios when Fulham Road is open.
Foundation
In response to a question about plans for the Foundation to work with the women’s team, the Club said a new strategy is being worked on. We are looking at having a residents group at Kingsmeadow which will involve the Foundation to see how we can better work together there. We will continue to keep you informed.
Megastore
It was mentioned that the range of products is very different to the type and price of products at the Emirates. The Club said it has a lot of communication with Nike regarding such products. Nike has changed leadership a number of times over recent years and we would benefit from a consistent policy.
Supporters said more low price products would appeal to children. The Club responded that it has taken over the Megastore and perhaps can look to review products. There used to be a meeting with Nike each season a few years ago. Products are already planned for September but we are happy to review this.
The Club added that some overseas supporters clubs have different product options. Fanatics still runs overseas sales products.
The Club will consider a pre-order collection point for items at Kingsmeadow.
Membership
In response to a question about membership benefits for the women’s game, the Club said it is reviewing membership generally but ticketing purchase options don’t apply for the women’s game. We could look at discounts for match tickets, for instance. A representative said that in rugby you can benefit from membership by receiving points and programmes, for instance.
The Club said it’s looking at the area of membership in detail. We’ve brought someone in to review what we can offer and they’ve met with the FAB and the Board. We are looking at how to increase benefits beyond the ticketing side. Prior to Nike’s involvement you could earn points, then a straightforward discount was brought in. We could cut up the nets at the end of the season and fans could be rewarded sections of it based on loyalty points.
We had 700 ST holders not turn up at Kingsmeadow at the weekend so we could deduct points for non-attendance, for instance.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Celtic match segregation
In response to a question about segregation problems after the game, the Club said it’s aware of the issue. The Club’s responsibility ends at the edge of our property. If we cut capacity it will be much easier to manage, with different exits for Celtic fans possibly. There have to be major concerns from the police to keep away fans in after a match, in accordance with the law. There has to be a serious risk anticipated.
We constantly talk about safety and security before matches, including routes for away fans from local tube stations. The police and local authority are very involved in discussions.
120th anniversary
The Club responded to a question by confirming the women’s team would be included in celebrations. The FAB has talked to the Club about celebrations a lot already.
Manchester United home match
The Club said it’s still planned to play the match at Kingsmeadow.
Foundation
The Club said we have a grant from the Premier League Fans’ Fund and have introduced “We Are Chelsea Youth Supporters Group”. This has focused on developing younger support for the women’s team. We have involved three schools near here and three near Kingsmeadow with 310 participants initially. We are then inviting the best 15 from each of the schools to form a youth supporters’ group and eventually will be looking to reduce the number to 35. They were judged by a panel including Tracy.
We have already had workshops at Kingsmeadow and there will be a Q and A session to come. After selection is completed, we can form subgroups and hear their ideas for improving youth support for the women’s team.
Three match ST
The Club asked if there is a refund option if a game is moved. The Club said it’s the equivalent to buying a discount through an ST. The Club did not publicise or announce match dates before this promotion went on sale so is not tied to particular dates to honor the discount. Another representative said it’s a good benefit anyway.
Two representatives commented that a supporter is more likely to be sat right at the front if buying a ticket when they first go on sale. The Club said only three league away matches are scheduled not to be played at main stadia at present.
Next meeting
Representatives were told the next meeting is likely to be in January
The meeting finished at 7.45pm.
‘Chelsea Supporters Group’ can also be found on X and Facebook
