As we reach the end of the 2025/26 season, it’s a good moment to look back on the progress of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and think about how we can keep improving it. Our shared aim is simple: to help the club make better decisions by truly understanding the impact those decisions have on fans. We all believe the FAB has the potential to play an important role in how the club is run. It aims to give fans a genuine voice in discussions on strategic topics by providing valuable insight, challenge and new ideas. While fan representatives won’t always agree with every club decision, the open discussions and engagement we’ve had - especially on key issues like season ticket pricing - have helped lead to better outcomes for supporters. FAB discussions also give club leadership a clearer view of how changes may affect fans and the positive impact new policies or investment in fan-facing areas can make. The club and the fan representatives agree that it is essential that FAB continues to follow the Gunning Principles in consultation, which means conversations happen early, with enough information and time for proper feedback, and that feedback is genuinely considered before decisions are made. When we get this right we all see the benefits of working this way, and it’s something we will strive to do at all times.
We also launched several new working groups, bringing together members of the FAB, Fans’ Forum and the club. These working groups focus on key areas like Ticketing, Fan Experience, Inclusion, Atmosphere and our Supporters’ Clubs. We’re really pleased with the early progress and look forward to seeing their impact grow next season as they become fully established. Their more detailed work feeds back into the wider FAB and Fans’ Forum, which enables progress to be made between meetings and helps inform better decision making. Ahead of our final FAB meeting of the season, we carried out our annual effectiveness review. It showed clear evidence that fan input helped to shape ticketing policies for the upcoming season, highlighted the strong connection between FAB and the Fans’ Forum, recognised that the club met and exceeded its commitments outlined within the seasonal Fan Engagement Plan, and confirmed the depth of knowledge and diverse representation across the group.
It also identified areas where there are differences between the perception of fan reps and the club which we need to work together to close. We are committed to delivering those improvements so both club and fan representatives feel FAB is always operating as it is designed to and delivering to its full potential for the benefit of Manchester United and its supporters. As we look ahead to the new season, we’re also entering the next phase of the new stadium project - the biggest change for the club in 100 years. We’re united in the belief that fans must be meaningfully involved from the very start and for every step of the way, helping shape what comes next. The FAB will continue to work closely with the club to make sure it delivers on its commitment to “build a world-class stadium with our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of every decision.” This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and only by working together - with fans, fan groups and representatives - can we make it a success.
We remain keen to increase awareness of the FAB and the work it does across the wider fanbase. We recognise this can be challenging, as candid strategic discussions can be commercially sensitive and require confidentiality, but it remains something we want to improve.
Overall, we’re confident that by continuing to listen to each other, constructively challenge each other, work together and continually review our progress and hold ourselves collectively to account, the FAB will keep getting stronger. It will remain a key part of how the club makes better decisions and, importantly, how it connects and engages with fans.
Finally, we would like to place on record our thanks and appreciation for the many hours of unpaid work and dedication all fan representatives – whether on FAB, Fans’ Forum or other groups who interact with the club - put into their roles.
Dan Jones (Co-Chair) and Toby Craig (NBLO) June 2026