The FAB Fiasco: Unmasking the Illusion of Influence

One of our regular contributors recently posted this opinion about the Fan Advisory Board…

"FAB was borne out of something else — not to give fans a voice but to create the illusion of listening, of pretence. A vehicle for fans that went nowhere.

Behind closed doors in the boardroom, you could probably hear the board's laughter at their jolly wheeze. But eventually, ignored and frustrated, FAB turned on its master and asked uncomfortable questions and demands.

But the truth is FAB, whilst the child of necessity of a board under threat, it turned on its parent like a young adolescent teenager who realised truth when the gloss wore off the pride of involvement.

Tarnished by association, it needs to cut the apron strings or close its doors. Independence to ask the uncomfortable questions of a board, involvement of fans and shareholders, a voice that not only asks questions but is a two-way conduit, not a PR exercise.

The pretence is over; FAB is a casualty in the battle for Everton. Sadly, as the concept was good, but it was never intended to actually be true to the concept.

The fact is that FAB woke up and started asking questions it never got answers to; it was ignored. It became an inconvenience and a thorn to an arrogant pair of owners and a board.

But in many eyes, it was already tainted by association. Sometimes, you need to let things go; fresh beginnings – not just of home, owners or board but how we, the fans, stakeholders, make our voice heard.

Fresh beginnings. The ties that bind us are no more."

Given the laudable goals of the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) this judgement could appear to be a little harsh, but a cursory review of posts on ToffeeWeb shows that the contributor's scathing assessment of Everton's FAB appears to resonate deeply with a significant portion of the fanbase. It paints a picture not of genuine engagement, but of a calculated manoeuvre by the former club leadership when under siege.

Much of this stems from the previous incumbents of the Everton boardroom and the horrendous loss of trust they engendered with the fanbase after mysterious claims were made about real or imagined assaults of board members by fans, or the perceived risk thereof, such that they could no longer attend games at Goodison Park. 

To fully grasp the disillusionment, we must delve into the very genesis of the FAB, its stated objectives, and the stark reality of its performance as perceived by the very supporters it was ostensibly created to serve.

The Genesis: A Shield, Not a Sword?

The creation of the Everton FAB, much like similar initiatives across the Premier League, was born out of a period of unprecedented fan unrest and a concerted push for greater supporter involvement in club governance.

Following the widespread condemnation of the European Super League proposals in 2021, the UK government's fan-led review, spearheaded by Tracey Crouch MP, recommended the mandatory establishment of Fan Advisory Boards or similar structures at clubs. This external pressure, coupled with increasing internal dissent over Everton's direction under Farhad Moshiri and the Bill Kenwright-led board of directors, created fertile ground for a new fan engagement mechanism.

On the surface, Everton’s announcement of the FAB in the summer of 2022 was presented as a progressive step. Official statements highlighted its role in fostering "meaningful engagement" and providing a "formal channel for dialogue" between the club and its diverse fanbase. The stated intention was for the FAB to represent the views of supporters on strategic matters, enhance transparency, and hold the club accountable. 

It was framed as a genuine move towards collaborative governance — a far cry from the previous ad-hoc and often perceived as tokenistic "fan liaison".

However, from the outset, a cynical undercurrent ran through much of the fan discourse. Many questioned the true motivation. Was it a genuine desire to empower supporters, or a reactive measure designed to placate an increasingly vocal and organised fanbase, while simultaneously pre-empting potential government regulation that include talk of an independent regulator for Football? 

The phrase "illusion of listening," as our contributor put it, was already taking root. Some saw it as a PR exercise, a convenient buffer between an embattled board and its disgruntled faithful, rather than a powerful, independent voice for change.

The Performance: A Whisper in the Wind?

The early days of the FAB were characterised by a mix of cautious optimism and inherent scepticism. Supporters watched keenly to see if this new body would genuinely challenge the club's hierarchy or merely rubber-stamp decisions. As time wore on, the prevailing sentiment, particularly across fan forums, shifted definitively towards the latter, before evolving into outright frustration.

One of the most frequent criticisms leveled at the FAB, widely echoed on ToffeeWeb, has been its perceived lack of tangible influence. Discussions often revolve around the absence of visible outcomes from their consultations.

As one ToffeeWeb user lamented, "They talk, the club nods, and nothing changes. What's the point if they're not impacting decisions?" This sentiment is amplified by the perceived opaqueness of the FAB's interactions with the club. While minutes from meetings are often published, many fans feel these documents lack detail regarding substantive challenges or the board's direct responses to difficult questions.

Othe critiques have highlighted the FAB's perceived inability to influence key strategic areas, particularly in a period marked by chronic financial instability, managerial upheaval, and protracted takeover sagas. When fans sought answers on issues like the club's financial health, stadium funding, or the long-term vision, the FAB was often seen as either powerless to extract meaningful information or constrained in its ability to disseminate it openly. "They can't even get straight answers on basic stuff," one poster wrote, "how are they supposed to hold Moshiri to account?"

The "uncomfortable questions" alluded to by our contributor did indeed start to emerge. As the club's fortunes continued to decline on and off the pitch under the previous administration, the FAB, comprising committed Evertonians, found itself increasingly mirroring the frustration of the wider fanbase. Reports and rumours suggested internal struggles within the FAB as members grappled with the limitations of their remit and the apparent stonewalling from the club's hierarchy. This led to accusations of the FAB itself being "ignored" or "an inconvenience," rather than a respected stakeholder.

Perhaps the most damaging critique, however, is the notion that the FAB became "tainted by association." For many, its very existence under the previous regime, and its perceived inability to prevent or reverse unpopular decisions, made it a part of the problem rather than the solution.

This is a recurring theme among some ToffeeWeb posters who argue that, by engaging with a board seen as dysfunctional and unresponsive, the FAB inadvertently lent it a veneer of legitimacy. "They became part of the establishment they were supposed to scrutinise," argued another ToffeeWeb regular. "Their hands were tied by their proximity, not freed."

The Call for Fresh Beginnings

Assuming the current mood surrounding the Everton FAB is as articulated by our contributor, it is one of weary resignation and a yearning for genuine change. The concept, as they rightly point out, was good – a truly independent, empowered voice for supporters. Yet, its implementation, and the context in which it operated, seems to have rendered it ineffective in the eyes of many.

However, with the change in ownership and the arrival of The Friedkin Group, there is a clear opportunity for fresh beginnings that a reset can bring. But it remains to be seen if this can satisfy the broader feeling that any future fan engagement structure must be fundamentally different. It must possess true independence, transparent lines of communication, and real power to influence decision-making, rather than merely being a conduit for pre-approved information or a forum for politely heard grievances.

The pretence is over. The FAB, in its current form and under the shadow of its origins, is seen by many as a casualty in the broader battle for Everton's soul. The demand is not for a revised version of the same, but for a truly fresh beginning – one where the voice of the fans is not an illusion, but a fundamental, powerful pillar of the club's future under the new ownership of The Friedkin Group.