The plan, which will be published each season, is a requirement for all clubs as part of a series of league-wide measures designed to promote meaningful, long-term engagement with supporters.

The Fan Engagement Standard, still in its infancy, was announced by the Premier League in November 2022. The resulting plan showcases the positive steps the club has taken in relation to supporter engagement during the 2022/23 season, including the appointment of a nominated board-level official to oversee fan engagement, the creation of a Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and the delivery of co-created supporter initiatives.

The plan celebrates the initiatives and activities delivered with groups such as the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, Chelsea Pride and Chelsea Supporters Group, alongside the ongoing work the supporter advisors to the club board do to ensure fan representation is present at all board meetings.

Welcoming the fan engagement plan, chair of the Fan Advisory Board Neil Beard said, ’Gianfranco Zola famously said that all of us – teams, directors, managers – are passing through a football club. Supporters are there always, and they never forget.

‘The voice of the fan has to be heard, and has to be able to influence the decisions the club makes, in a very sensible way. To have supporters recognised and included at all levels of the club, including having supporter advisors to the board attend Chelsea FC board meetings, and the newly created Fan Advisory Board, is a clear and obvious sign that Chelsea are serious and pioneering in doing all they can to listen to the views of supporters when shaping the long-term future of Chelsea FC.

‘After over 20 years of working with the club to represent the needs of supporters, I welcome the formation of the FAB, am proud to be its first chair, and am very confident we can work closely with the club and continue to make positive progress together.’

Head of supporter relations Cat Smith added, ‘Working closely with supporters over the 22/23 season, it has been rewarding to see so many fan-led initiatives come to life.

‘Whilst we now have the mechanisms in place to facilitate meaningful consultation and engagement across a breadth of club-related issues, we are excited to do more. We are looking forward to working closely with supporters to help fulfil the requirements of the Fan Engagement Standard.

‘Ensuring fans have the opportunity to make their voices heard at all levels of the club is of the utmost importance. There are many ways supporters can share their opinions with us and we welcome feedback through the channels shared within the Fan Engagement Plan.’

• Click to view the Fan Engagement Plan