Notes from our September meeting with Fulham FC
On Wednesday, 10 September 2025 at 1.30 pm, the Fulham Supporters Trust (FST) met with Fulham FC via video conference.
The Club was represented by:
- Eleanor Rowland (Director of Safeguarding & Inclusion, ER)
- Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director, CM)
- Jamie Nicholson (Head of Supporter Services, JN)
- Nicola Walworth (Supporter Liaison Manager & Disability Liaison Officer, NW)
The FST were represented by:
- Simon Duke (Chair, SD)
- Hayley Davinson (Deputy Chair, HD)
- Tamara Dragadze (Board Member, TD)
HOW IT WORKS
This was the latest of the smaller meetings we have agreed to have with the Club to explore in more detail some of the areas of activity, which should be of interest to our members. It is expected these meetings will provide deeper insight into the way the Club operate and provide explanations for some of the more commonly asked questions.
ER opened by stating that the Club is committed, at all levels, to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) through a robust strategy. This includes both staff and fans.
The main aim of EDI is to promote an equitable environment thus to prevent discrimination and to ensure punishment and education are efficient, to stamp out racism and prejudice.
The Club currently has a three-year plan (2024/27) and they have been working to achieve Intermediary Status from PLEDIS (Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy). This has included mandatory training of stewards, whose inactivity in EDI reaction until now has been a challenge, and input from fans. A decision is expected shortly.
The following documents may be of interest to FST members and other fans:-
Fulham for All strategy (2024/27)
Club website for EDI
Club Policy for EDI
The EDI policy was first introduced 8 years ago. It covers both Fulham Football Club and the Fulham Foundation.
An EDI staff survey (to include Club and Foundation) was undertaken in 2023/24 with key findings from 274 respondents:-
- 68% of respondents were male,
- 68% were also white British, 13% Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, 8% mixed ethnic group and 4% Asian,
- 87% were heterosexual, with 5% Bisexual, Gay Women or Lesbian,
- Age categories were well spread, with the largest representation, 55%, in the 25-44 age band.
- 45% were Christian, 37% no religion, with the remainder being Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, other or prefer not to say.
An EDI fan survey (Season Ticket holders or Members) was also undertaken in 2023/24 with c3,500 responses, which has provided a good sample size. Key findings about our fan base from the survey:-
- 84% of respondents were male,
- 93% were white British, 1% Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, 4% mixed ethnic group and 1% Asian,
- 94% were heterosexual, with 3% Bisexual, Gay Women/Men or Lesbian,
- Age categories were well spread, with the largest representation, 46%, in the 45-64 age band.
- 48% were Christian, 39% no religion, with the remainder being Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, or prefer not to say
SD said that the FST do annual surveys, which could be helpful to the Club in terms of benchmarking some of this data.
It was agreed that core to this strategy on match days is reporting incidents inside the stadium using FulStop. This is made difficult in real time because of the poor quality and limited availability of Mobile/WiFi signals. This is being addressed.
Disability access and mental health awareness are being and will continue to be promoted with staff, players and fans.
The aim is for everyone to be able to ‘be themselves”.
This is a very important subject where we can expect to see more regular articles promoting EDI awareness going forward. Fans are encouraged to report any incidents, particularly racial abuse, noting seat numbers where possible.
Other points covered include:-
- The EDI Team are the first port of call for player abuse, particularly on social media.
- The Club would like to see more diverse ethnicities in both our fan base and staff,
- A certain number of tickets are made available to the community to encourage a wider fan base,
- Stewards are being given additional training in dealing with racial abuse,
- The Club would like to increase utilisation of wheelchair bays to at least an average of 80%.
- The Club expect to publish more regular data, which will provide fans with details of action taken in respect of EDI breaches.
Meeting closed at 14.45
Non EDI related issues raised by members have been dealt with outside the formal meeting and Club comments (in blue) are as follows:-
P2 Toilet seems to have a water problem with no water available to wash hands 20 minutes before kick off.
This has been reported, unfortunately this only occurs when there is a rush of usage with lots of toilets flushing and taps used at the same time. We have checked and there is water. This will be kept under review.
Complaints about condition of men’s toilets particularly the one nearest HE turnstiles which were closed at half time
It had to be closed due to a blockage to the urinals. At the moment we are discussing upgrades and planning permissions.
PA volume issues in JH stand. Can it be turned down?
We won’t be changing it as it has taken a long time for us to reach a point where it is balanced and pleases the majority of fans.
What happened with Putney Bridge station on night of Bristol City game. How can station be left unmanned?
It was due to staff shortages and outside the control of the Club. It will be taken up at the next Safety Advisory Group meeting.
Will discounted drinks be sold in Fulham Pier post match as they were last season?
Yes.
Facilities at MP for FFCW games remain poor. What changes are planned and are we compliant with Tier 4 requirements.
We are compliant.
What is current capacity of Craven Cottage.
Our current licensed number is 28,107. We have installed more wheelchair positions in Riverside Lower for this season.
The following questions relate to catering with comments provided by Sodexo:-
Beer machines / self-serve units
The self-serve units were removed over the summer. The decision was made due to repeated technical failures and low throughput. While they were popular with some supporters, they caused more disruption than benefit. We continue to review technology that can improve speed of service.
HE prosecco availability
There is prosecco on sale in the HE, but currently only at the main bar. We are looking at widening access points to balance demand more evenly.
Stock issues (burgers, pie holders, chocolate)
On this occasion (Manchester United game), the kiosk opposite the HE turnstiles did experience both a temporary shortage of packaging and a sell-through of certain products earlier than expected. We have reviewed ordering and replenishment levels to prevent this happening again.
Bar closure by H4/5 (Manchester United game)
That bar was temporarily closed due to a staffing issue. We recognise this caused inconvenience and are putting steps in place to ensure cover is maintained.
Red wine in the JH stand
The JH kiosks are not the biggest and pouring with measures in those area’s is problematic and service slow. We are looking to see if we can get a quick serve option.
