WE ARE THE GAME 

Please support the Charters. 

The Football Supporters' Charter is for all fans, it's about taking it back for the people who created it, and whose passion makes it the global spectacle it is today. 

The Charter for Women's Football is for players and supporters, it addresses health and safety issues, and is centred on avoiding the women's game becoming deformed by commercialism as has happened to the men's game. 

Why We Need the Charters:

The UEFA champions league final is a huge event in the football calendar: at both the last two matches, fans have been treated with fear and contempt. 

In May 2022 the French police treated Liverpool fans at the European Cup final as criminals; only the restraint of those fans avoided fatalities. 

At the June 2023 final, the kick-off time was put back to 10pm Istanbul time in the interests of TV coverage. Fans were treated like cattle, with supporters unable to return to their city centre hotels until past 3am after the late kick-off and a scramble for shuttle buses at the end of the game.

To these crimes of disrespect at specific events can be added those of general exploitation: ticket prices, merchandise and travel rip-offs being the most prominent. 

The disastrous attempt to form a European Super League completely disregarded fans’ feelings and demands. The idea has not disappeared as the rise of the state-owned clubs such as Manchester City, Newcastle and Paris St Germain will force other big clubs into money-generating ventures in order to compete. 

According to the financial analysis firm PitchBook, 35% of top-flight clubs in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have acquired private investment in some form. Private investment focuses on improving profitability over the length of the investment, eliminating "unnecessary" costs and selling its stake at a profit, a business model that drives the further commodification of clubs. Theatres of Dreams become arenas for asset-strippers, the faceless who only dream of enhanced returns. 

The people who run football will not grant us the Charters’ demands, these will need to be put in place and enforced through democratic, legislative means. This is a long process, we need to build a movement with a momentum to provoke the necessary changes. The Charters provide a focus around which that movement can gather, we hope they will be the sparks that help ignite the necessary revolution.

We need to take our game back, not just because we built it with our passion, not just because that passion still underpins the game’s global success, but because 

WE ARE THE GAME!

The Demands:

See The Roaring Red Front for the full Charters

Football Supporters Charter: 

1. FANS’ RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RUNNING OF THEIR CLUBS MUST BE ENSHRINED IN LEGISLATION

2.  END THE FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF SUPPORTERS

3. RESTORE STANDING AREAS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TICKET PRICES

4. MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR LARGE MONEYED CLUBS TO DOMINATE; SHARE THE WEALTH AND ENSURE THE GAME STAYS COMPETITIVE

5. SAFETY: CLUBS TAKE DIRECT RESPONSIBILTY FOR ALL ASPECTS OF FAN SAFETY INCLUDING SAFETY FROM THE ABUSES OF RACISM, SECTARIANISM AND HOOLIGANISM

6. INSTIGATE A ROOT-AND-BRANCH INVESTIGATION OF THE GAME’S FINANCES, INCLUDING WHY TICKET PRICES ARE SO HIGH

7.  INSTIGATE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE OPTIMAL OWNERSHIP MODELS FOR CLUBS

8. FIXTURE TIMINGS: END THE CAPITULATION TO TELEVISION SCHEDULING PRIORITIES 

The Charter for Women's Football:

1. GROWTH MODEL
The establishment of a growth model for the women’s game avoiding excessive commercialisation - including fan-based ownership and cooperatives

2. PROTECTION
Protection against misogyny, sexism, homophobia, sexual assault for all trainees, players and staff with special protection for those in academies

3. WOMEN’S HEALTH
Investigation into women’s health, menstruation and injuries leading to development of medical and mental health support systems

4. ACCESSIBILITY
Full accessibility for fans at women’s games, control over ticket prices and broadcasting

5. BAN BETTING AND GAMBLING SPONSORSHIPS
Encourage alternatives including unions, government bodies such as the NHS, local/regional/nation governments, not-for-profit sector

6. REPRESENTATION. 
Fans on boards of clubs. At least 50% of board members should be women and/or LGBTQ. Women and minorities voices need to be heard, and particularly in the running of their own clubs and dealing with the unique issues relating to womanhood and sport.

7. POST PLAYING CAREER SUPPORT
Each club will aim to establish welfare, health and training departments that continues to work with players, staff and management after their retirement.

8. SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY LINKS
Clubs to establish plans to support grassroots/amateur women’s football

9. EQUALITY 
Clubs to campaign on equality issues and to encourage the promotions diversity throughout the players, staff and management.

10. KIT AND EQUIPMENT
The right to equipment and kit for players specifically designed for women's needs.