On Wednesday 13 May 2026 at 13.30, the Fulham Supporters’ Trust (FST) met with Fulham FC via video conference.
The Club was represented by:
• Alistair Mackintosh (Chief Executive, AM)
• David Daly (Non-Executive Director, DD)
• John D’arcy (Head of Safety, JD)
• Jamie Nicholson (Head of Supporter Services, JN)
• Jane Woods (Head of Ticketing, JW)
• Nicola Walworth (Supporter Liaison Manager/SLO, NW)
The FST was represented by:
• Simon Duke (Chair, SD)
• Jerry Cope (Treasurer & Membership • Secretary, JC)
(Jakub Krupka, FST Board Member, had to send his apologies at the last minute, because of work commitments)
HOW IT WORKS
At our regular meetings, Trust board members normally ask questions relating to as many topics as possible in the time available, based on responses from members to the advance notification of the meeting and our own observations from interacting with the wider supporter base. The Club then gives its position, which is discussed. These notes are therefore a statement of both points of view. The Trust continues to press both the Board’s and its members’ views at this meeting and in separate meetings.
Often members ask similar questions, and, in these cases, we try to summarise, provide the Club with feedback and gain as much useful information as possible in the time available. We also prioritise new and time-critical topics, whilst also seeking updates on longer running issues. Other items are taken up directly with Club outside these sessions.
Items focussed on at this meeting were:
• Season Tickets and Match-day tickets
• Stewarding
• New kit
• New sponsor
• AOB
SD opened the meeting by congratulating Steve Jaye and the Women’s team on their magnificent unbeaten season, and Becky Stormer on being awarded the FST Rachel Yankey Trophy as player of the season, and Hayden Mullins on being named PL2 coach of the year.
SEASON TICKETS AND MATCHDAY TICKETS
SD started the discussion by reminding the Club that the Trust had re-affirmed in a letter to AM in March that they were seeking a freeze on season ticket prices for next year. No formal response had been received by the Trust, and SD asked whether the Club now had a response.
DD responded that there was little to add to the Club’s official statement on the new season ticket prices; and that the Trust, with its Chair a representative on the FAB, had been taken through the Club’s final approach to next season, an approach which had evolved in discussions with the Fan Advisory Board (FAB). JN added that the Trust, through its representative on the FAB, had therefore plenty of opportunity to input to the Club.
In reply, SD emphasised that consultation with the FAB was not consultation with the Trust, nor indeed the wider fanbase. As a member of the FAB, SD had to sign a non-disclosure agreement covering all the discussions around ticket pricing, so he was and was still unable to brief the Trust Board on how the final decision had been arrived at by the Club. He had re-affirmed the Trust’s request for a price freeze this year during those FAB-led discussions. JN challenged the view that the FST Chair was pushing for a price freeze during the consultation process. SD did not accept that, adding there were different models across the Premier League for the processes surrounding such consultation, which could be looked at.
DD reminded the Trust that they had very wide access to Club officials and managers to make the views of their members and supporters known, but he felt that the Trust did not help itself or those relationships by its overt criticism of the FAB, which was doing a lot of work in a number of areas of concern to supporters. SD discussed negative views of FAB amongst sections of the fanbase and JN responded that FST statements help to fuel these perceptions. Given the criticism of FAB in the FST’s latest statement, DD raised the question of whether the FST Chair should still be part of the FAB. SD believed that should remain the case.
JC responded that he hoped that the Club appreciated, that although the Trust and Club inevitably disagreed on some matters, the Trust added value by making suggestions to the Club backed by the views and information of supporters. He added that is impossible for supporters to know what the FAB were and were not working on, as there was little to no communication from the FAB to supporters generally. DD agreed to consider that point further with the FAB.
In response to a question from SD, JW said that season ticket renewals were running on a par with previous years.
SD concluded the discussion by asking whether there was any information on the approach to matchday ticket pricing for 2026/27. The Club responded that it was too early to say, as fixtures had not yet been determined.
STEWARDING
SD asked JD how he felt the increased screening arrangements at the Bournemouth game had gone. The Trust had separately sent JD some particular supporters’ experiences, including congestion after the game getting into and out of the Riverside area. JC added that from his knowledge at both the JH and PE stands entry to the ground had gone smoothly, helped by the positive attitude of many of the stewards doing the screening, but the Trust had received concerns that the focus on screening might have left stewarding short-staffed inside the ground, just before and just after kick-off.
JD responded that the increased security threat had given the Club an opportunity to test the need for full metal screening, which would almost certainly have to be replicated at every game next season because of the new Martyn’s Law passed by Parliament. He felt that, in general screening had gone well with entry times to the ground similar to other equivalent games. He would be emphasising in future communication how helpful it was for supporters to take out from their pockets and hold keys and phones and anything else of a metallic nature. He had been particularly pleased to receive direct feedback from a Jewish supporter how pleased they were that Fulham were making the ground as safe as possible. He added that they would be reviewing bag-lanes for next season.
In response to JC’s comments, JD said that he had a record number of stewards available for the match, and he would be reminding senior stewards of the need to ensure they were available at all times. There had been some congestion in the open-air part of the Riverside caused by the good weather with supporters trying to enter and leave this area at the same time. They were considering options to reduce this congestion, possibly including a short duration one-way system, say with entry to the Riverside being through one end of the ground, and exit through the other end.
SD asked for the thanks of the FST to be noted for the work done by JD and his team throughout the season to help make Craven Cottage a safe and inclusive environment.
NEW KIT
JC asked about arrangements for next season’s kit.
DD responded that there would be 3 kits as usual with both women’s and children’s sizes. The Club hoped to have the kits available a little earlier this summer, but this just needed to be planned around the World Cup, as he felt that fans might not turn to next season’s Premier League until the World Cup was over or nearly over. In response to a question from JC, DD said that it was the intention to incorporate the old Fulham badge regularly into the design, although perhaps not every season, as it had clearly gone down well with many supporters on this year’s away kit.
NEW SPONSOR
SD asked about progress with a new front-of-shirt sponsor, and DD responded that there was no firm news yet, but it was on track to be ready for the new kit launch
AOB
It was agreed, at the Trust’s request, that the next meeting with the Club would be in July, given June holidays.
The meeting closed at 1425.
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