Aston Villa Sets 2026/27 Fan Engagement Plan With Earlier Input on Ticketing and Club Decisions.

Roger Hampel

Image: Aston Villa

Aston Villa has published its Fan Engagement Plan for the 2026/27 season, setting out changes to its Fan Advisory Board, ticketing consultation, supporter forums and matchday feedback processes.

The Fan Advisory Board (FAB) will remain the club’s primary structure for formal supporter consultation, with additional working groups covering ticketing, matchday experience, accessibility, club culture and EDI, and women’s football. Aston Villa has also committed to involving the FAB earlier in relevant decision-making, particularly around ticketing and supporter-facing policy changes.  

The plan follows a 2025/26 internal FAB assessment that recorded an overall average score of 3.9 out of 5, up from 2.5 a year earlier, while identifying familiarity with the club’s internal decision-making processes and the visibility of the FAB among the wider fanbase as areas requiring improvement.

Fan Advisory Board Remains Primary Consultation Channel Aston

Villa’s FAB provides supporter representatives with direct access to senior club management and the opportunity to contribute to initiatives affecting the fan experience.

Richard Stevens, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, is the club’s nominated board-level official responsible for compliance with the Premier League Fan Engagement Standard. President of Business Operations Francesco Calvo and other senior executives are expected to participate in FAB meetings and supporter forums.

Ticketing, Matchday Experience and Stadium Development

Ticketing will remain a dedicated consultation area, covering seasonal and match-by-match tickets, pricing and hospitality during 2026/27. A separate fan engagement and communications group will focus on matchday experience, customer service, catering and supporter insights.

These areas were already prominent during 2025/26, when the FAB was consulted on ticket pricing, the North Stand redevelopment and associated capacity changes, accessibility and the Europa League supporter experience. The board also provided recommendations on stadium atmosphere.

Villa has identified its name, crest, Villa Park name and location, and claret-and-blue home colours as formal heritage assets. The club commits to consulting supporters before material changes to those assets, subject to contractual, legal and intellectual-property obligations.

Matchday Surveys to Cover GA, Hospitality and Women’s Fixtures

Aston Villa will also expand structured matchday feedback.

Dedicated surveys will be sent to randomly selected supporters after each home matchday, including Aston Villa Women fixtures. Separate surveys will cover General Admission and GA+/Hospitality, with additional consultation focused on food and beverage, memberships and EDI.

The club has committed to responding to supporter enquiries within five working days and will continue operating dedicated supporter email and social-media channels.

Fan Forum Returns After 2026 Pilot

Villa will continue its open Fan Forum following a pilot event in April 2026.

The 2026/27 edition will take place on a non-matchday evening, with more tickets available and greater advance notice for supporters. Entry will remain free, questions will not be pre-scripted and the event will be livestreamed free on VillaTV.

Fan engagement and supporter sentiment will also become a permanent item on club ownership meeting agendas, while ownership has committed to providing updates on major projects including the North Stand development.

Villa Targets Further Improvement in 2026/27

The club’s stated long-term objective is to be recognised as best-in-class for fan engagement. The FAB will remain the principal mechanism for supporter input, supplemented by working groups, surveys, forums and direct consultation.

The plan also provides a measurable baseline for the coming season. Villa intends to conduct another FAB effectiveness review at the end of 2026/27, allowing the club and supporter representatives to compare performance with the detailed scores recorded last season.