Barnsley Football Club is proud to support the Football League’s Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) initiative, and four new SLO’s have now been appointed to represent the Club and our supporters. We are delighted to announce that lifelong Reds supporters Carlo Van De Watering, Alan Bloore, Sarah Chadwick and Ray Brammer have been appointed to work jointly in the role of SLO, being the official channel of communication between the fans and the club management team. Carlo and Alan will work as the Home SLO’s, with Sarah and Ray taking care of away match duties.
The role which is backed by UEFA is designed to ensure that fans have a dedicated point of contact and someone who will best represent the needs of fans within the Club, ensuring that the most common issues are raised at the highest level within Oakwell.
UEFA first adopted the principle of the Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) as part of their football club licensing platform, and it is centered on improving communication and providing a focal point for supporters to make their voice heard. The SLO is an independent position which reports directly to the Chief Executive, meaning that fans have an independent representative putting their views forward.
Barnsley Football Club has given great consideration to the process of appointing these positions, and is now pleased to announce that Carlo, Alan, Sarah and Ray will shortly take up their roles as SLOs at Barnsley FC. The Supporter Liaison Officers will be on hand to meet and interact with supporters at every game both home and away, and will subsequently meet with the Club management team in the days following each game to discuss feedback raised by supporters. A dedicated e-mail address (slo@barnsleyfc.co.uk) has been set up for use by the SLOs, which supporters can now use to make contact and raise any points. The club is delighted to welcome the SLOs on board and will assist them in all their work on behalf of the supporters and the club.
Barnsley FC Chief Executive Ben Mansford commented “Barnsley FC welcomes the SLO initiative and we are delighted to have Carlo, Alan, Sarah and Ray on board. Fan engagement is vital in moving the Club forwards and over recent years we have made positive steps with the introduction of monthly fan forums and various other community activities alongside the BFC Community Sports & Education Trust, the Football Club’s charity organisation. The appointment of our four new SLOs here at Barnsley will be another significant step forward in this area and we are looking forward to working together. Feedback from our loyal supporters is incredibly valuable, so we are confident that the appointment of the SLOs will give our supporters a unique platform to communicate with management at the club and ensure that their voice is heard. We are very thankful to the SLOs for giving up their time to stand in this important role at the Club, and would encourage supporters to give feedback and engage with us as much as possible.”
Over the coming weeks, we will be working with the SLOs to develop a new section on the Club website which will house relevant information to enhance the visitor experience for both home and away supporters coming to Oakwell Stadium.
For more information on the SLO initiative, please click here.
To contact the new Barnsley FC Supporter Liaison Officers, please e-mail slo@barnsleyfc.co.uk
