Club Liaison

New copy around current situations needed: Despite what you may believe, our relationship with Liverpool F.C. and its officials is very good. Spirit of Shankly speak to Liverpool FC in one form or another on a wide range of issues, both positive and negative every week.

We regularly meet with officials including Peter Moore, Tony Barrett, ….. We have successfully represented hundreds of members on a wide range of issues.

Our role in those meetings, via social and other media is to hold the club to account. To try to ensure they treat supporters fairly, transparently and objectively.

Working with LFC since 2008

The aims of Spirit Of Shankly mean that liaison with the club and its officials is vital.Since our early beginnings, our issues we represent and the causes we have fought for have brought us into close contact with Senior Officials throughout Liverpool FC.

Despite our open and active opposition to the previous owners, we have been able to maintain a cordial relationship with many of the officials at our club, something we hope will continue into the future.

In our history, we have held several meetings with various officials including:

  • Former Chief Executive, Rick Parry
  • Previous Owner, George Gillett
  • Managing Director, Ian Ayre
  • Former Managing Director, Christian Purslow
  • Current Chairman and Principal Owner, Tom Werner and John Henry
  • Stadium and Operations Manager, Ged Poynton
  • Financial Director, Philip Nash
  • LFC Regeneration Director, Andrea Titterington
  • Head of Community, Bill Bygroves
  • Former Manager, Rafael Benitez

These meetings have not been an attempt to get close to those at the club, not to indulge in tea and biscuits. All of these meetings have allowed for us to ask important and probing questions of those at the club about its direction, its activities (and inactivity) and its policies. They have made us more informed and aware of the reasoning behind some decisions and a better understanding of various situations.

Importantly for us, these meetings have ended with results. Following these meetings, and our questions and requests, members and supporters have gained from increased information about the previous ownership, a ticket price freeze in previous seasons, loyalty from the now abolished Priority Ticket Scheme being retained, cheaper Child tickets (and as was the case for Utrecht, free tickets) and commitments to improving and cleaning up the Season Ticket waiting list. As well as these significant results, there have been regular results for individual members as our Club Liaison Officer has assisted them in complaints and queries around ticketing and their treatment by the club.

However, Club Liaison isn’t just about getting these results, or having a good relationship with the club – it, like Spirit Of Shankly as a whole, is about challenging the club officials and other authorities when they make mistakes or treat people unfairly. This has been the case in dealing with complaints about stewarding at football matches, as well as the unfair and unlawful treatment of supporters at some away games. Meetings with the club police authorities have allowed us to address these concerns, ensuring our members and supporters, are heard and listened to.