Active Fans’ Embassies

Fairplay is an initiative for diversity and anti-discrimination that was established in 1997 in the course of the EU-Year Against Racism. It was supported by the European Commission and the Austrian Ministry for Sports and it is co-funded by the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) and Austrian Development Cooperation. Since then, Fairplay has organised activities against discrimination in Austrian football and sport in cooperation with associations, clubs, fanclubs, and migrant and youth organisations. Fairplay also focuses on public and education projects in sport and development. In addition, Fairplay operates the Austrian Fans’ Embassy. 

Website: www.fairplay.or.at
Twitter: @fairplayVIDC

In December 2010, the Belgian Football Federation reached an agreement with the National Federation of FNS Supporters as part of an organisational collaboration. In the summer of 2011, an agreement was reached for the creation of a global supporters’ club. Since November 2011, they have been responsible for the operation of the 1895 Belgium Fan Club within the Football Federation. The official name 1895 Belgium Fan Club refers to the year of the founding of Belgian FA.

The 1895 Fan Club operated a Fans’ Embassy at UEFA EURO 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. They provide a support service for all travelling fans and are recognised among the Belgian’s international fans. The 1895 Fan Club have been members of FSE during this period and support many of its other programmes.

1895 Official Belgian Fan Club 24 hour Helpline: +32 478 1895 00
Email: 1895@rbfa.be
Website:
NL: www.rbfa.be
FR: www.rbfa.be
EN: www.rbfa.be

The Croatian Fans’ Embassy (CFE) is an umbrella platform for Croatian fans who follow national teams. It consists of three concepts: a mobile contact point; a loyalty program for fans of the national team; and Mi Croats fan club. The size, strength and unity of this unique organisation of Croatian fans is recognised by Croatian sports federations and wider society.

The mission of CFE is to enable all Croatian fans to join a unique, official and recognised fan community regardless of age, gender, nationality or affiliation differences. Our aim is to create and promote a healthy and positive fan culture, and fair play in the stands.

CFE promotes the principles of affirmative values in sport and continuously works to educate younger fans. Positive activities and projects are initiated and administered in cooperation with official sports federations and relevant institutions.

Email: info@cfe-mihrvati.hr
Website: www.cfe-mihrvati.hr

Fanklub Repre aims to bring together fans of all football teams of the Czech Republic and create conditions that will allow them to support their national team anywhere in the world. As an organisation they support choreography, organise fan friendlies, joint marches to matches and other activities supporting a good atmosphere before, during and after the match.

Fanklub Repre communicate the opinions and suggestions of fans with the Football Association of the Czech Republic. These effective lines of communication are essential to the building of a successful Fans’ Embassy. They act as an intermediary between fans and organisers and provide Fans’ Embassy services at the venue of every Czech Republic fixture.

Website: www.fanklubrepre.cz
Email: fans@fanklubrepre.cz
Facebook: fanklubrepre
Twitter: @fanklubrepre

Danske Fodbold Fans (DFF) provide a voice for Danish football fans and work to create a better framework and conditions for the many thousands who, week after week, month after month, year after year, help to sustain Danish football. The DFF assists its members in advising, developing networks and sharing experiences.

The DFF has a long tradition of promoting fan interests and self-organisation. It was founded in 2003 by an assembly of representatives from official football fan clubs. Today, it includes 32 football fan clubs representing more than 50,000 fans in Denmark.

The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the association. It elects a board of directors that constitutes the day-to-day management of the association. Each member association has a DFF contact person who is the link to the members’ association. It is DFF executives who coordinate the joint activities.

In order to obtain membership in DFF, a fan club or fan grouping must be recognised by the parent club, have at least 25 paying members and otherwise be able to subscribe to the values on which the cooperation rests—that is, no violence, vandalism, racism and/or other activities that may bring the game or clubs into disrepute.

The DFF have a history of supporting international fans traveling to watch Denmark. They will support FSE with all of their work in Copenhagen as a host city. 

Contact Number: +45 40 25 87 43
Email: info@fairfans.dk
Website: www.fairfans.dk
Twitter: @FairFansDK 

The FSA are the leading advocates for supporter ownership, better fan engagement, cheaper ticket prices, the choice to stand at the match, protecting fan rights, good governance, diversity, and all types of supporter empowerment.

The breadth of work is huge and difficult to sum up in a paragraph or two. As the national organisation they have regular contact with the Premier League, the EFL, National League, and the FA, as well as a whole host of other organisations within football such as the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Football is for all and the FSA work closely with organisations such as Kick It Out and Level Playing Field to ensure that core belief is happening in the real world. 

The FSA are founding-members of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), who represent supporters across the continent and are heavily involved in the organisation, with two members who sit on FSE’s Committee (Kevin Miles and Paul Corkrey).

The FSA pioneered the concept of Fans’ Embassies and have helped fans of both the England and Wales men’s national teams at tournaments across the planet. They replicated this service, for the first time, for England’s Lionesses at the Women’s World Cup 2019.

The FSA produce a ‘Free Lions’ which is the England fanzine as part of their Fans’ Embassy service supporting England fans abroad. Free Lions is published for every England away game and a team of volunteers (aka the Fans’ Embassy) is on hand offering advice and information for travelling supporters at tournaments, qualifiers and friendlies. 

It’s not just about making sure that fans stay safe and know the best places to grab a bit to eat or drink on matchday. Supporter representatives travel to the relevant venue in advance of each fixture along with FA security staff and the UK police delegation—fact-finding and garnering information to pass on to fans and lobbying host authorities for the optimum treatment of visiting supporters. 

Much of the preparatory work is therefore a well-trodden path: liaison with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), various UK policing agencies and the FA, the production of the Free Lions Guide Book, and the recruitment of the Fans’ Embassy volunteer team with the range of skills required to deliver a comprehensive service.

Free Lions 24 hour Helpline: +44 7956121314
Email: freelions@thefsa.org.uk
Website: www.thefsa.org.uk
Twitter: @WeAreFreeLions  

SMJK are a new member of FSE and their purpose as an association is to act as a link between the supporters of the Finnish national football teams, to encourage national football teams and to promote football and fan culture in a positive spirit. The association increases the interaction of people who share the same values and provides them with a platform for action.

SMJK aim to develop and maintain the visibility and atmosphere of the Finnish national football teams at home and away matches. They also organise match trips, fan meetings and leisure events for their members.

SMJK will run their very first Fans’ Embassy at UEFA EURO 2020, where they will travel to Saint Petersburg and Copenhagen to support national teams fans during the tournament. 

Pohjoiskaarre/SMJK: +358505531255
Email: fanit@suomifanit.com
website: www.pohjoiskaarre.fi
Twitter: @pohjoiskaarre

Irresistibles Français (IF) was officially born on 10th October 2010. They aimed to establish an association with solid management, promote a good atmosphere at French national team games and which allow their members to participate in fan friendlies.

In 2012, they started dialogue with the French Football Federation (FFF) in order to develop the atmosphere in the stadiums. The first steps were quickly taken: supporters were allowed, and even encouraged, to stand and equipment was allowed in the stadia to develop the atmosphere. 

Since then, the visibility of the association has increased. They now have over 1,500 active members. The France vs. Russia of March 29, 2016, will remain a landmark date in the history of the association with the realisation of a first large-scale tifo throughout the North Stand of the Stade de France.

IF run a Fans’ Embassy and a Fans’ Team for all international fixtures and go to great lengths to support travelling fans at competitive and friendly games. 

Irrésistibles Français 24 hour Helpline: +33604674294
Email: communication@irresistiblesfrancais.fr
Website: www.irresistiblesfrancais.fr
Twitter: @IF_Supporter
Instagram: @irresistiblesfrancais

The Coordination Unit For Fan Projects (KOS) was set up in 1993 to accompany, coordinate and participate in the establishment of further projects for the social-educational fan projects (fanprojekte). The basis of the work is the National Concept of Sport and Security (NKSS), which sets out the content and organisational framework of youth social work in the field of football. Currently, 68 fan scenes are maintained at 61 locations in Germany.

With the long-term successful work of the fan projects in Germany, the preventive approach of social-educational work with football fans has received more and more recognition. In addition to the coordination and optimisation of national fan work, KOS has also been internationally active for many years and, in conjunction with the FSE network, organises fan support measures at major football events. The biggest challenge in this field was the conception and implementation of the fan and visitor support program for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

KOS were pioneers in the foundation of Fans’ Embassies. Since the 1990 World Cup professional fan workers have been travelling with the German national team fans and fan clubs. At this tournament it was identified there was a need for a support mechanism for supporters travelling to international fixtures. To the present date, a Germany Fans’ Embassy has run at every international tournament. They will continue their great work at UEFA EURO 2020. 

Email: kos.fanprojekte@dsj.de
Website: www.kos-fanprojekte.de

The Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs (AONISC) was formed in early 1998. There were fourteen individual clubs and while many of these had been in existence for more than a decade at that stage, they felt that forming a network would give Northern Ireland fans greater strength when working on issues they felt most strongly about.

Often feeling that the views of fans were largely overlooked by the decision-makers at Windsor Avenue, the Amalgamation began to lobby on a variety of issues, including ticketing, and has continued to do so in the years since. Whilst much of the work done by the AONISC in the early years was ‘under the radar’, the very public debate surrounding the National Stadium provided the organisation with a much higher public profile.

One of AONISC’s proudest achievements was working with the Irish FA’s Community Relations Department to improve the atmosphere at international matches at Windsor Park. The improved atmosphere contributed to many memorable nights and this was recognised with the conferring of the ‘Brussels International Supporters’ Award’ upon Northern Ireland fans.

AONISC have run Fans’ Embassies for many years and were present at their first major tournament in France for UEFA EURO 2016. They continue to run Fans’ Embassies and support travelling fans at all competitive and friendly fixtures. 

Email: secretary@aonisc.co.uk
Website: www.aonisc.co.uk
Twitter: @AoNISC_Travel 

Associação Portuguesa de Defesa do Adepto (APDA) aims to encourage the active participation of fans and inform fans of their rights and duties, through conferences, workshops, fanzines and informative newsletters.

In order for the fans to return to their rightful place at the heart of football, APDA promotes agreements with entities that share their goals, so that they can provide members with better conditions and benefits in the use of services that are part of the daily life of the fan.

APDA will run their first Fans’ Embassy at UEFA EURO 2020 and will be present for all of Portugal’s fixtures, which will take place in Bucharest and Munich. They will be on hand to assist all travelling fans and provide them with advice and support in the city. 

Email: geral@adeptosportugal.pt
Website: www.adeptosportugal.pt