Date : 27/05/26
Attendees (* Joined Remotely) : Dan Maguire* (Chair), Steve Leake (Secretary), Chris Lord, Victoria Morris-Birrell*, Hugh McKinney (CTSA), Kieran Sullivan, Alain Harper (GH Away), Sam Gadsdon (CTFC), Tom Allman (CTFC), Raphael Khalili* (CTFC)
Not Present : Sam Jordan, Darren Ford (Community Foundation), Peter Frake (Commercial Sponsor)
Agenda
Welcome from the Chair (Dan Maguire)
Introduction from the Club (Raph, Tom & Sam)
Introduction from FAB members
Fan Engagement approach (Chris Lord, Kieran Sullivan)
Questions for the club
Quick recap
This was the first meeting of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) for Crawley Town Football Club, bringing together club representatives and fan members to discuss engagement strategies and club operations. The meeting began with introductions from both the club side, including CEO Tom Allman and owner Raphael Khalili, and the fan representatives who shared their backgrounds and motivations for joining the FAB. The club outlined their current structure and operations, noting they were confident about recruitment for the upcoming season and discussed ongoing challenges around match day operations and community presence in Crawley. Fan members, including Victoria who represented disabled and female supporters, discussed opportunities to improve inclusivity and women's representation at the club.
The group explored fan engagement strategies, including the development of a website for feedback, communication through social media, and ways to reach out to different demographic groups. Technical discussions covered season ticket renewals, database management, and loyalty programs, with the club acknowledging limitations in their current systems but expressing interest in implementing better fan communication tools. The conversation ended with agreement to schedule follow-up meetings closer to the August 7-8th season start date and to promote the FAB's formation to the wider fan base. A number of questions were not asked due to time constraints but it was agreed these will be captured during our next session.
Next steps
FAB Governance
Collate the AI companion notes from the meeting and share with Steve to help put the minutes together. (Dan Maguire) 28/05/26
Share the draft minutes in the WhatsApp group and with the club for review and agreement before finalizing. (Dan Maguire) 01/06/26
Reach out to Sam next week to discuss the additional board member mentioned during the call and to lock down dates for the next meeting. (Dan Maguire) 01/06/26
Build up a RAID log (Risks, Actions, Issues, Decisions) to capture and track items going forward. (Dan Maguire) August 2026
Work together to finalize the meeting minutes, with Dan sending initial notes to Steve the following morning. (Dan Maguire & Steve Leake) 01/06/26
Put out a short online post (one to two sentences) announcing that the FAB had its first introductory meeting, including that Raph attended, to build awareness and credibility among the wider fan base. (Sam Gadsdon) 28/05/26
Agree on and confirm dates for the next official meeting, ideally as close to the season start (August 7th) as possible. (Sam Gadsdon & Dan Maguire) 05/06/26
Draft Agenda for next session (Dan Maguire) 05/06/26
Share contact details with all FAB members who do not already have them. (Sam Gadsdon)
Share club structure with FAB members (Tom Allman)
Fan Engagement
Explore options for improving the club's email marketing setup, including alternatives to Mailchimp that offer better contact segmentation and grouping (e.g., identifying season ticket holders who haven't renewed). Look into resuming the Mailchimp newsletter now that season tickets are on sale, and begin communicating with the existing database of approximately 21,000 contacts. (Sam Gadsdon) 12/06/26
Investigate the possibility of enabling e-receipts through Square for club shop purchases to allow customers to opt in to marketing communications. Explore the Square loyalty/rewards scheme feature as a way to start rewarding fan loyalty across club spending. (Sam Gadsdon) 31/07/26
Arrange for a media session where a couple of FAB members can sit down with Sam to talk about the FAB, its purpose, and why it matters, to help engage the wider fan base. (Sam Gadsdon) 30/06/26
Organize a group photo at the next in-person FAB meeting to put faces to names and promote the FAB publicly. (Sam Gadsdon) 31/08/26
Continue developing the FAB website to be ready for the start of the season, including a fan feedback/poll feature, and share progress with the group. (Chris Lord & Kieran Sullivan)
Continue discussions with the relevant parties (e.g., United Coaches) regarding away travel arrangements for the upcoming season and update the FAB accordingly. (Alain Harper)
Explore how the CTSA's communication channels (newsletters, messages) can be used to promote FAB initiatives and reflect club communications to the wider fan base, and bring a proposal to the next meeting. (Hugh McKinney)
Create a list of services available to supporters include on FAB, CTSA and GH media content (Chris Lord)
Legacy & Community
Book a session to discuss the idea of a Crawley Town football club museum or exhibition, including potential pop-up or permanent locations in the town centre. Propose a plan to Raph on how best to deliver to the community (Steve Leake & Sam Gadsdon) 31/08/26
Reach out to club historians regarding engagement with the club on legacy matters (Dan Maguire & Steve Leake) 31/08/26
Think about ideas for how to support the club's presence in the town centre (e.g., banners, partnerships with local businesses, pop-ups, posters in local shops/pubs) and share suggestions in the WhatsApp group to present back to the club. (ALL)
Inclusivity
Explore avenues for engaging local women's sports teams (football, hockey, etc.) to understand barriers to attending Crawley Town matches and report findings back to the FAB. (Victoria Morris-Birrell)
Look into the White Ribbon Organization's webinar on women's safety at football clubs and share relevant findings or recommendations with the FAB and club. (Victoria Morris-Birrell)
Investigate how the Disabled Supporters Association is currently communicated to fans and suggest ways to improve its visibility and accessibility. (Victoria Morris-Birrell)
Identify a point of contact within the club to help drive this initiative (Tom Allman)
FAB Structure & Introductions
The inaugural meeting of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) established a clear framework divided into digital, physical, and operational focuses. Dan Maguire was appointed as Chair and Steve Leake as Secretary. Raph and Tom walked through the club structure from ownership, footballing side and club operations. In response to the FAB asking about how these key members would react to change and feedback it was confirmed that these resources would be available to collaborate with the FAB on set matters.
Sam Gadsdon will serve as the primary club liaison, while CEO Tom Allman and owners Raphael Khalili and Ryan Gilbert committed to collaborative transparency. New members introduced themselves, bringing diverse perspectives: Victoria Morris-Birrell highlighted inclusivity for female and disabled fans; Alain Harper represented away travel; Chris Lord and Kieran Sullivan offered technical and change management expertise; and Hugh McKinney represented the CTSA. The board aims to bridge the gap between club operations and fan experience through structured, goal-oriented discussions.
Club Updates & Operations
Raph expressed confidence in player recruitment during his first full pre-season as owner, despite being slightly behind in external communications due to division changes. Tom noted that while match-day operations are generally stable, there is a strong focus on volunteer recruitment for match days and continuous improvements, such as pitch renovations. The club clarified that summer initiatives are proactive enhancements rather than requirements. Raph noted a need for a stronger community presence in the town centre, identifying it as a priority for the upcoming season preparations.
Fan Engagement & Communication
The group discussed revitalizing fan outreach through a new FAB website and the resumption of email marketing. The club currently manages a database of approximately 21,000 contacts but faces technical hurdles with the Kaizen ticketing platform regarding GDPR and targeted segmentation for non-renewing season ticket holders. Proposals were made to utilize Square for e-receipt marketing and loyalty rewards. Victoria emphasized the importance of engaging local women's sports teams and addressing safety concerns to improve female representation. Future efforts will include promoting the FAB's work via social media and media interviews to ensure transparency and gather fan feedback effectively.
Legacy & Community
The board celebrated the Red Devil's Diary program, which generated £500 in donations for local charities. To honour the club's history, plans are underway for a museum exhibition, exploring potential permanent or pop-up locations in the town centre. Creative marketing strategies were discussed to increase visibility, such as partnerships with local businesses and pop-up events at the County Mall. These initiatives aim to foster a deeper connection between the club and the wider Crawley community beyond match days.
