Section Review

Bank Account:
Sort Code: 40-09-17
Account Number: 42218275

PayPal:

The 2023/24 season was an undoubted success, both on the pitch and in the stands. Consistent displays of the players’ appreciation to SK1 through the season, topped off by their beeline for the South corner of the stadium with the Championship trophy in May, have solidified the section’s place as the place to be for consistent, vibrant, and most of all enjoyable support for the team. Away from home, our title party at Preston North End will go down as one of our strongest away followings since Randers in the Conference League.

Displays

Following our relegation, UFS declared that a return to the Championship would not diminish our activities or presence in the stands on Filbert Way. Through the season, the group facilitated 4 full stand displays, one of which was our first two stand display, and 2 section displays in SK1, the largest return in our 10 year history.

The cost of our 4 full stand displays were as follows:

Cov £1020
Watford £1450
Boro £1585
Blackburn £3259

Giving a total of £7314. As always, we are incredibly proud of the return that we have offered for those that have dug deep to fund these displays during tough times and we will always ensure that our donations are made to stretch as far as possible. Our displays will be funded and produced by the fanbase, the same as they always have been and the same as they always will be.

Work has already started on our 2024/25 plans. If you’d like to donate, you can do so here.

10 Years UFS

In December 2023, the group celebrated its 10th anniversary. This is a significant milestone for the group, testament to the dedication of our members to the club, the group and to each other. Here’s to the next decade!

Issues

Thankfully, the overzealous stewarding that surrounded the early days of the section in 2022 and 2023 has eased, and we would hope that this would continue moving forward. LCFC have previously raised concerns about “migration”, essentially supporters moving into the standing areas without tickets. The easiest way to cure this issue, is to provide a dedicated standing area large enough for the demand that the club themselves measured during their latest survey.

With regards to wider fan engagement, we have again seen the bare minimum from the club this season. The planned FCC for the end of this season has not materialised, nor has a formal arrangement for the mandatory Fan Advisory Board which is a requirement on our return to the Premier League. The £25 charge for a physical season ticket, and the subsequent backlash and joint statements from UFS, the Foxestrust and the Official Supporters Group, was essentially ignored, again re-inforcing that the club will do what they want and fans are considered as an afterthought. UFS would take the opportunity to advise LCFC of a growing discontent within the wider fanbase within this context, compounded by the latest insult in the form of the 2024/25 matchday ticket pricing.

Safe Standing

There have been no updates at all from LCFC this season in relation to safe standing. Going into 2024/25, LCFC will be 1 of only 4 clubs in the league that choose not to provide a safe standing area to their fans, or have plans to do so. As we have done for over a decade, the group will lobby on this topic at every opportunity, but it is up to LCFC to take action on this topic. The more likely scenario is that LCFC will take action only when the pressure from the SGSA and SAG becomes overbearing, rather than taking pro-active steps themselves.

Expansion Timeline

As of our understanding at the start of June, the section is now season ticket holder only, after the circa 130 spaces were filled by relocations in May. The section is now the only general admission block in the stadium to be season ticket only, again showing the demand for an immediate expansion. If this is to be done formally, further support from the club is necessary.

In January, we proposed two further trials to the club for an expanded section for the FA Cup game against Birmingham. The first was a central section behind the goal in SK2, which was refused. The second was an expanded section in SK1 to include the block closer to G1. This was also refused by the club, citing a “lack of demand”. The core section then sold out before any other area in the ground for that fixture.

If the club is genuinely interested in a vibrant, authentic home atmosphere, an expansion of the section must be a top priority. Our expectation for a number of years had been that the expansion of the stadium would have brought about a perfect opportunity for a stadium reconfiguration, and that LCFC could use this opportunity to significantly increase the space allocated to those looking to vocally back the team. However, 3 years post announcement and with no work started, we can no longer rely on this opportunity and efforts will be focussed elsewhere to expand the section, formally or by natural migration of singing supporters to adjacent blocks.

Looking Forward

Looking ahead, the group hopes that Enzo’s departure does not erode the good work that was done to repair the relationship between the players and the fans last season. The post match scenes between the players and fans in the SK1/G1 corner during the run into the title win, were amongst the most memorable and enjoyable of the whole season. During what will be an incredibly difficult return to the top flight, the togetherness of the fans, players, and incoming manager will be crucial.