SUNDERLAND AFC WOMEN
Supporter Engagement Plan 2026-27
Welcome to the Sunderland AFC Women Supporter Engagement Plan for the 2026-27 season.
Nothing is more important to this football club than our fans, they are the heartbeat of everything we do and central to how we operate. The unwavering support of our fans drives sustainable growth on and off the pitch.
Our vision is to create a welcoming, inclusive, engaging fan experience for all. Fostering a strong sense of community and belonging among our supporters is one of our core goals.
We aim to engage with our fans in meaningful ways, delivering unique and memorable experiences that extend beyond matchdays. We recognise the passion of our fan base and do not want to take this for granted. We will work hard each and every day to deliver to our fans and make them proud to call Sunderland AFC Women their club.
We are committed to building strong relationships based on trust and transparency, creating one of the leading football environments where all fans feel valued and heard. Our objectives include setting measurable goals for fan engagement. This consists of regular meetings with SAFC Women’s Supporters’ Group, introducing new supporter working groups to enhance interaction and input across all areas of the club, and implementing new fan feedback mechanisms to improve the experience and our output continuously.
We aim to create a culture of fan engagement that not only meets but exceeds all expectations, while keeping in line with all rules and regulations laid out by the WSL and FA.
Fan Engagement Approach
The club continues to implement its approach to place the fan at the
core of our operation and central to all decision-making. A fan-centric operation will move our club forward. This includes:
1 - Defined vision and leadership buy-in
2 - Deeper understanding of our fanbase
3 - Engaged and empowered staff
4 - Service delivery excellence
In short, we can articulate what makes SAFC special and ensure our people live and breathe it every day. Each department at the football club is connected to this fan engagement plan and is held accountable to deliver against these principles in everything that they do. As a result, fans will recognise a football club that delivers frequently and across more lines of its operation.
We believe this makes for a good business, one that drives sustainable growth by creating the highest possible levels of emotional investment from fans.
Fan Engagement Team
CEO – James Gray
Head of Football Operations – Alex Clark
Operations Lead – Amy Lines
Marketing Lead – Max Simpson
The progress of this Fan Engagement Plan will be monitored and delivered by the Fan Engagement Team throughout the course of the 2026-27 season. This will involve the planning of fan events and supporter experiences, as well as ensuring the delivery of high-level fan engagement. The Fan Engagement Team will conduct regular meetings and reviews to continuously improve and act on feedback received from various stakeholders. They will also meet with the club’s Supporters’ Group a minimum of 2 times per season to provide updates, relay relative club information and gather feedback.
Items that have emerged from previous meetings with the Supporters’ Group include:
- Improving the physical ticketing offer for Season Ticket Holders
- Creating a better atmosphere at Eppleton
- Translating Stadium of Light fanzone activity to Eppleton where possible
- Difficulties regarding away fixture information
Plans are already in place to enact the above over the course of the 2026-27 season, and there will be communication between the Fan Engagement Team and the Supporters’ Group throughout the year in order to ensure these items are being delivered effectively.
Commitment to Update Fans
Sunderland AFC Women is committed to providing regular updates to supporters regarding its fan engagement activity. We want all Sunderland supporters to feel involved in this process and have an opportunity to be a part of it.
We will commit to listening to all feedback and views as we strive to become a fully fan-centric football club.
Should there be any updates to our Fan Engagement Plan during the season, this will be communicated promptly to supporters on safc.com, explaining the reasons behind the changes and how they align with our overall objectives.
Transparency and accountability are key, Sunderland AFC Women is open to feedback and engagement from all supporters on the Fan Engagement Plan and its continued progress. The club will provide regular updates on the performance of the Fan Engagement Plan, including any successes or challenges faced, and how these are being addressed.
We will welcome all feedback from our supporters, and will create a supporter feedback form that will run over the entirety of the 2026-27 season. This will be constantly monitored and reviewed after each home fixture in order to react quickly to any improvements or issues that arise from the form.
There will also be a series of recorded conversations with fans at home fixtures to get their thoughts on matchdays while within the environment.