Football Supporters Europe

The European Football Fan Congress is organized on a yearly basis by Football Supporters Europe in collaboration with local fan groups from the FSE membership and other fan organisations from the host city and country. It is aimed at tackling fan issues and encouraging fan dialogue, fan self-regulation and fan culture through workshops, discussion panels and other debates between football fans and representatives of European football governing bodies and political institutions. It takes place each year in a different city: 2008 in London, 2009 in Hamburg, 2010 in Barcelona,[16] 2011 in Copenhagen, 2012 in Istanbul and 2013 in Amsterdam with the participation of Gianni Infantino, UEFA General Secretary.[17] Further European Fan Congresses took place near Bologna (2014) and in Belfast (2015), where the FSE membership decided to switch from annual to bi-annual EFFCs. The next EFFC will take place in the Belgian cities of Ghent and Lokeren from 6 to 9 July 2017.

Supporters Charters are defined by institutions like the European Commission and the Council of Europe as a joint agreement between clubs/FAs and their fans, where they develop each other's rights and obligations in a negotiation/mediation process, the results of which are put down in a so-called Supporters Charter which is reviewed on a regular basis after its adoption.[18] It should therewith serve as a major tool for the establishment of a social dialogue with the overall objective of preventing tensions between clubs and fans as well as anti-social fans’ behaviour.[19]

Upon initiative of FSE,a European Supporters Charter Handbook was elaborated in consultation with European football governing bodies such as UEFA and the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), national associations and leagues, the world players’ union FIFPro, fans’ representatives from the FSE membership and representatives of institutions such as the European Commission and the Council of Europe. According to the chair of the Standing Committee on Spectator Violence of the Council of Europe, Jo Vanhecke, the “process to produce this handbook was in itself a breakthrough. All relevant stakeholders have had an input and discussed the content in an open dialogue, based on principles of mutual respect and equal status".[20] The final document was designed as a practical tool kit to serve clubs and fans and was endorsed by the EU Commissioner for Education and Culture, Androulla Vassiliou and UEFA President Michel Platini.

The handbook was launched on 3 June 2013 in Vienna as part of the "ProSupporters Seminar and Round Table". Promoted by the European institutions, it is available in 5 languages as hard copy edition and for download via the FSE-website.

Launched in 2013, the “Fans’ Action Fund”[21] is meant to finance fans’ initiatives and projects through the profits generated via an online-shop.[22]

The Fans’ Embassy concept dates back to services provided for supporters of the England and Germany teams at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and has evolved through subsequent tournaments. After EURO 2016, Fans' Embassies may be seen as an established and successful part of fan hosting at major football tournaments. According to the FSE website, “the essential features of a Fans' Embassy service are the provision of accurate, reliable, up-to-date, independent and objective information on any matters of interest to football fans, by fans for fans”.[23] The FSE Fans’ Embassy Division developed a Smartphone App to provide travelling fans with such information whilst all club and city info is put together via other football fans themselves.[24]

FSE initiated two European stadium action days on topics that were considered relevant to football supporters across Europe – the first ones were organised under the motto “Our Game – Our Time” and called for fans across Europe to organise visibility events such as stadium choreographies to demonstrate solidarity of fans for so-called “fan-friendly” kick-off times . They took place in 2010.[25]

The second European stadium action days were organised in May 2011 under the motto “Save Fan Culture” and mainly addressed the issue of safety and security measures that fans across Europe, from the perspective of FSE representatives, often consider overzealous and too restrictive.[26]

Each of the European stadium action days facilitated by FSE was formally endorsed by different fans groups and initiatives from more than 10 countries who put their names on the list of supporters and organised respective visibility activities on matchdays.[27]

In 2010, in Sweden, the “Our Game – Our Time” campaign was highly supported by Swedish fans and ultimately lead to the supporting Swedish fans being offered by their national Football Association to be consulted on the arrangement of kick-off times in Swedish professional football.[28][29]

FSE is producing a yearly fanzine called Revive the Roar!. Until 2016 six issues have been published, including a media guide for fans and legal advice for supporters compiled by lawyers for 10 different countries.[30]

FSE engages with various institutions to provide the fans’ perspective in the framework of institutional decision-making processes affecting fans, mainly at European level.

Since 2009, FSE holds an Observer Seat in the Standing Committee of the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events (T-RV) of the Council of Europe.[31] In 2012, FSE was invited by the European Commission as an observer to the EU Expert Group on Good Governance.[32]

Other institutional platforms have also consulted FSE and sought the support or expert input of the fan organisation, mainly on matters related to safety and security, such as the EU Football Experts Think Tank on a European training project of football police officers to foster innovative policing strategies of football matches with a focus on de-escalation and communication.[33][34]

As part of their work in this area, FSE also holds meetings and seeks support and visibility for its European or its members activities at local level from national Football Associations and local authorities and football clubs and media, e.g. in the context of the organisation of the European Football Fans’ Congresses or in the area of individual case work on member enquiries.[35]