Irish Supporters Network

Category: Projects

  • Heart of the Game handbook

    Heart of the Game handbook

    One key output of the Improving Football Governance through Supporter Involvement and Community Ownership project was the Heart of the Game handbook.

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  • Towards a sustainable League

    Towards a sustainable League

    The Irish Supporters Network (ISN) is delighted to announce details of its 2017 League of Ireland workshop, which will take place at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday, March 26th.

    Focusing on key areas of interest for League of Ireland football clubs, officials and supporters alike, one of ISN’s key objectives to is promote the benefits and importance of Ireland’s national football league.

    The ‘ISN: Towards A Sustainable League’ workshop will kick off with a session on Achieving Sustainable Finance, led by ISN representatives involved in SD Europe’s Clubs and Supporters for Better Governance in Football project. The content will focus on the conflict between short and long-term goals as well as touching on early warning signs of financial concerns among other items.

    In the afternoon, SLOs from a number of League of Ireland clubs will lead a discussion on what the role of Supporter Liaison Officer can mean for Irish football clubs. The position is a requirement under UEFA licencing and for all Premier Division clubs. However, having an independent person advocating for supporters and addressing concerns that arise on match night and elsewhere can be of significant benefit to all clubs, at any level of the game.

    The final session of the day is entitled: What do Supporters Want? Ask them, which will focus on the importance of bringing fans into the fold, asking for feedback and taking action when and where is possible. A consistent focus on Fan Dialogue is essential for any supporters group, club, league or national association – as is seen across Europe.

    As part of this session, LOI supporters are being asked to complete a Match Night Experience survey – the results of which will be unveiled on the day. It is hoped the survey will also highlight examples of good practice and new ideas from around the League that can be shared with all who attend.

    Further speakers and presentations will be confirmed closer to the event. Anyone interested in attending should visit events registration page as registration is required. Refreshments will be provided, so there is a suggested donation of €10 per person.

    Spokesperson for ISN, Aidan McNelis, said: “At the first ISN event in the Aviva Stadium (2014), participants saw how important it is for League of Ireland clubs and supporters to highlight the positives and the good work being done in our League. This workshop is a follow-on from that.

    “In taking a closer look at areas of interest such as Sustainable Finance, the SLO role, and the essential work that can be done around Fan Dialogue and Engagement, participants will go home with a better understanding of what needs to be done in order to make progress within their own football clubs and supporters organisations.”

  • Clubs and Supporters for Better Governance in Football project

    Clubs and Supporters for Better Governance in Football project

    The Irish Supporters Network were a contributing organisation of the Clubs and Supporters for Better Governance in Football project.

    It was a two-year collaborative partnership, coordinated by SD Europe, and co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and UEFA.

    The project sought to help promote EU principles on good governance in sport through a training, education and exchange programme involving member-run football clubs and national supporters organisations, from seven EU states, over a two-year period (2016-17)

    The final report of the project is available to download here.

    The programme addressed three core topics:

    • Good governance
    • Financial sustainability
    • Member/volunteer engagement and democratic participation

    Partners and contributing organisations attended a total of three workshops, with Cork City FC involved in an additional series of one-to-one exchange visits. The project included a research and evaluation element as well as the development of an online training resource.

    The partners and contributing organisations were as follows:

    The project was supported by an advisory board, made up of:

  • Improving Football Governance project

    Improving Football Governance project

    Improving Football Governance through Supporter Involvement and Community Ownership

    (Led in Ireland by Friends of the Rebel Army Society (FORAS) and Cork City Football Club.)

    Between April 2012 and June 2013, FORAS (Friends of the Rebel Army Society) took part in a European Commission-funded project, backed by Supporters Direct Europe.

    Hosted in eight countries across Europe including Ireland, the initiative’s main aim was to establish and build capacity for Supporter Involvement and Community Ownership across Europe. There were three specific outcomes: a fans’ survey, a workshop and a handbook – though it quickly became apparent that Irish football would also benefit from the formation of a support network for clubs and groups actively involved in their own football club.

    Supporters’ Survey

    Over 1,500 Irish football fans shared their thoughts in a survey carried out in the Autumn of 2011. The Irish Survey had the highest response rate (compared to population) of all project partners and revealed a great deal of interesting opinions across a range of topics.

    – 89% of fans are unsatisfied with how football is run in Ireland.

    – 82% of fans feel their views are completely ignored at a national level.

    – 64% of fans feel they have little or no involvement in decision making at their club.

    – 97% of fans would like to have meaningful input into issues affecting the Airtricity League.

    The full press release can be found here, while the full Survey report can be downloaded here: SDE Ireland Survey Report.

    Heart of the Game conference

    A two-day conference and workshop was held in Cork in November of 2011 – with representatives of a series of clubs (including FC United of Manchester and AFC Wimbledon), trusts, fan organisations and UCC involved. The primary objective was to motivate and encourage attendees to take further action on a range of topics including governance and community.

    Download a full summary of the event here: Heart of the Game conference summary.

    Heart of the Game handbook

    The survey and conference fed nicely into preparations for the research and publication of a handbook dedicated entirely to supporters and the League of Ireland. The document brings together practice advice and case studies – and argues that fans have a very meaningful and central role to play in the future of their football clubs. The handbook is FREE and available to download: Heart of the Game handbook.

    For additional information about the project, see the project’s page