“A world away from the club I fell in love with”: Why we’ve joined the Foxes Trust
Since the Premier League charged Leicester City last month for allegedly breaking Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the FSA-affiliated Foxes Trust has seen membership numbers rise by more than 60%.
Here, some of those new members share their reasons for joining.
I’ve joined the Foxes Trust because right now, Leicester City feels a world away from the club I fell in love with.
It has often felt like a deal was done somewhere for years of on-field success and incredible trophy-winning highs in exchange for identity, fan culture and supporter treatment. As a result, we now look on in envy to progressive clubs we share leagues and regions with.
The upper echelons of the club sit, almost faceless, free from scrutiny and accountability for countless schemes and procedures taking the football club away from the city and community it exists to serve.
The fanbase has been diluted and feels completely manufactured, prioritising those who can contribute most to the runaway costs they leak out in their day-to-day operations and alienating those who can’t.
Foxes Trust membership enables positive, peaceful action from all fans, aiming to vastly improve the standard of service Leicester City provides to its supporters.
That’s supporters, not customers.
Tom
As a devoted supporter of Leicester City FC since the days of Jock Wallace and witnessing the rise of legends like Gary Lineker, I've experienced the full spectrum of emotions that come with football fandom. From the euphoria of being crowned Premier League champions to the heartache of relegations and financial turmoil, my allegiance to the Foxes runs deep.
The highs have been exhilarating, defying the odds and showcasing the resilience and spirit of our beloved club. However, it's during the lowest lows that my bond with Leicester City strengthens. It's during these times of adversity that a sense of unity, almost a siege mentality, permeates among fans.
This is why I've chosen to join the Foxes Trust. I believe the club is becoming disconnected from its traditional fanbase, where supporters are increasingly treated as mere customers rather than valued members of the Leicester City family.
I yearn for the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with the club, to share ideas and perspectives that can reignite the connection between the club and the fanbase. After all, it's the die-hard fans who stand by the club through thick and thin, embodying the true essence of loyalty and dedication.
Ownership, management, players, and staff may come and go, but the supporters remain the heartbeat of the club. Our love for Leicester City transcends mere fandom; it's a part of who we are, ingrained in our very being.
Joining the Foxes Trust isn't just about expressing grievances or criticisms; it's about channelling our collective passion and energy towards positive change. It's about ensuring that the club we cherish remains rooted in its community and connected to its most ardent supporters.
As we strive to align the club and the fans, I am hopeful that we can emerge from this period of transition stronger and more united than ever before.
Together, we can reaffirm what it truly means to be a Leicester City supporter – not just for now, but for generations to come.
Steve
I have joined the Foxes Trust as I feel there needs to be a greater dialogue between the club and supporters which ensures fans are valued as lifelong advocates of the club and not just commodities.
This journey of being a Leicester City fan should be represented on match days and should start with young supporters treated as guests of the club who cannot wait to tell their school mates on Monday morning of the memorable experience they enjoyed on Saturday afternoons.
The match day experience at the King Power Stadium should be seen as the premium match day experience not just in a city with competing sports but across the region. The King Power Stadium should be the sports destination with events and catering on the outside concourse and seamlessly efficient kiosks inside the concourse.
Fans should feel comfortable in taking to the stands with broken seats replaced and safe standing introduced into key areas of the ground. The club has seemingly lost its identity of 'Foxes Never Quit' and this work ethic should be reinstated throughout the club. Resilience and willingness to defy the odds should be championed.
From Claridge's shin to 2015/16 via Walsh's 3-3 equaliser against Arsenal at Filbert Street - Leicester City has always defied the odds and we need to celebrate this and be proud to be a Leicester City fan. By being a Foxes Trust member I wish to champion the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future.
Adam
Our club is a private limited company and as such we know little about its sustainability or the decision-making. It seems to be run in a very amateurish way, while ticketing and retail operations seem to take advantage of fans. If we have breached PSR then was this an accident or did we know what we were doing? I’m not sure which answer is worse. If it was a gamble that we lost, it is an act that now jeopardises our competitiveness.
The new government bill will give more access to supporters’ trusts, which can be used to improve transparency, accountability and attention to fan priorities.
The Foxes Trust hasn’t reflected the views of the fanbase. Increasing numbers will give the Trust a mandate and at the same time allow more fans to influence the priorities of the Trust.
Simon
I've joined the Foxes Trust as I am deeply concerned about what has happened to Leicester City in the last 3 years.
I want to push for better communication between the football club and the fans.
I want to push for change within the football club that will put us on a course to get back to where we were and to push it further than we got before. If Top wants to be ambitious, he should show it by being more ruthless in the boardroom.
I want to push for change within the sport itself on a number of issues:
A better broadcasting deal that gives fans access to 100% of the games being played and at a fair price - as it stands, UK consumers are charged more than double the price than consumers abroad for access to only half the games compared to 100% access elsewhere.
A broadcasting deal that doesn't reward bigger clubs with more games and prize more money based on their popularity, which then gives them more exposure and therefore more lucrative sponsorship and merchandising deals.
A removal of unfit and improper peoples in charge of the game at club level and league level.
A better system of fair play that doesn't punish clubs for being ambitious.
Swap the Kop and the family stand…
Urban
I have joined the Foxes Trust because I want to see the club challenged on issues such as fan engagement and the obvious issues of financial management.
As we have seen with many clubs over the years, you can easily start to drop down the leagues when those at the top are not moved on or accountability is not taken. On fan engagement, this is something that frustrates lots of us that want to vocally back the team and the club seem very reluctant to want engage with the fanbase (particularly Union FS) around this.
We are fans, not customers and a lot of us don’t feel valued.
Luke
I’ve joined the Trust as I no longer believe the club has supporters’ best interests at heart. I hope to action positive change in that respect by supporting the Trust in any way I can.
Judd
Join the cause
The Fosse Way is supporting the current drive for new members to join the Foxes Trust and have their say on the future of Leicester City Football Club.
Annual membership costs
Adult: £10
OAP, unemployed or students: £5
18 to 21 years old: £3
Under 18: Free
