Chelsea to have a supporter presence at club board meetings from July 1

Chelsea have announced starting from July 1 there will be a supporter presence at club board meetings.

The Blues, who were one of the 12 clubs involved in the European Super League fiasco last month, will select three supporter advisors through an election and selection process who will attend board meetings to ensure general supporter sentiment is considered.

Fans protested ahead of Chelsea’s match with Brighton on April 20 in opposition to the controversial breakaway competition which had been launched two days earlier.

Anger turned into celebration when it was revealed the Stamford Bridge outfit had become the first to pull out before the five other English sides involved followed suit.

The club’s commitment to listening to their fans has now extended to the inclusion of supporter advisors, who will attend approximately four meetings per year.

“Chelsea Football Club announces that, as from 1 July, there will be supporter presence at the club’s board meetings,” a statement read.

“The club will now consult with the Fans’ Forum and several non-official supporter groups to discuss the club’s proposed process for picking the three supporter advisors.

“Criteria for nominations as well as final selection will ensure that the supporter presence is representative of our supporter base generally and is inclusive and diverse. A new selection will be made before the start of each season.

“The successful candidates will be required to enter into a confidentiality agreement, similar in scope to the confidentiality obligations of a member of the Chelsea Football Club board of directors. This will allow the club to discuss and seek advice on a broad range of matters.”

Supporter advisors will not have voting rights or participate in meetings relating to players, staff or the academy but if the advisors complete the year successfully by attending all the required meetings, they will be entitled to select a UK registered charity to receive a contribution of £2,500 from the club.