Leeds United announces Supporter Advisory Board

Well, this owner is ticking all of the boxes right away, isn’t he?

Fans of Leeds United for years have complained about the lack of input they had into the way the club has been run, and with all of the dodgy owners that have plagued the club, it’s no wonder that the fans would like a voice into the operations of the club. After all, this is a fanbase that has endured Ken Bates calling them “morons” for daring to question some decisions that he had made in the official match programme, and for Bates to continue to insult the fans that once paid good money to watch the team play, saying that fans who protested against Massimo Cellino were “idiots” and should find a different club to root for, as if the club is an extension of the owner, and not part of the community.

Leeds United today announced that they are forming a Supporter Advisory Board. From the club’s official website, Leedsunited.com

Leeds United are looking for fans from each supporters group including our regional members clubs, Official Supporters Club, Leeds United Supporters Trust and Leeds United Disabled Organisation as well as supporters representing the interest of 16-21 year olds, senior citizens, corporate members, family stand season ticket holders, ethnic minorities and the LGBT community to take part in our new Supporters Advisory Board.

This is a welcome change to the way the previous regimes have operated in darkness or in direct opposition to the fans. Angus Kinnear is set to meet with the representatives from the different fan groups. While Kinnear was at West Ham United, Karren Brady, who runs the day-to-day operations of the East London club, met with high-profile bloggers and others from fan groups to get the pulse of the fans and to get input from the fans on how the club could improve the matchday experience. It’s good to see that Kinnear has taken a page from one of the few good things that West Ham has done over the past 18 months.

Here’s hoping that this means a positive change for the club and the way it interacts with fans. MOT