Meeting Minutes of the All Together Town (ATT) Panel – 20.01.2025

Hosted at the John Smith’s Stadium (Kirklees Stadium)

Note: These minutes were taken by the Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association (HTSA), not Huddersfield Town Association Football Club.

Present

Club representatives: ​Ross Alexander (Communications and Marketing Director); Andy Booth (Supporter Services); Gina Buckley (Head of Ticketing); Luke Cowan (Head of Retail); Robyn Kennerdale (Head of Supporter Experience); Paul Reeves (Chief Revenue Officer); Rachel Taylor (Supporter Services Manager); David Threlfall-Sykes (COO)

Supporters’ Groups: ​HTSA; Huddersfield Town Disabled Supporters’ Club; Cowshed Loyal

+ Multiple panel members

Agenda

1.     Season Cards and Ticketing (HTAFC)

2.     Stadium Update (Cowshed Loyal and HTSA)

3.     South Stand Concourse and Catering (Cowshed Loyal and HTSA)

4.     Club Retail Strategy (HTAFC)

5.     Any Other Business (AOB)

A.    New Staff Member

Andy Booth began the meeting by introducing Ross Alexander, the club’s new Marketing and Communications Director, to the panel.

Mr Booth went on to highlight Mr Alexander’s extensive experience in the world of sport, including stints at Manchester City and in rugby league. In response, Mr Alexander thanked Mr Booth for his warm welcome and expressed enthusiasm for his new role and involvement in the club’s efforts to engage with supporters.

1.     Season Cards and Ticketing

Paul Reeves presented to the panel a detailed breakdown highlighting that the EFL had recently made significant changes to its Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) rules for League One and League Two clubs. These changes are designed to stem excessive losses and promote financial sustainability.

Under the new rules for League One, which Town supported, and which take effect in the 2025/26 season, clubs will only be able to spend 60 percent of any owner equity investment exceeding £500,000 on player-related expenditures. This is a reduction from the previous allowance of 100 percent.

Mr Reeves also highlighted that the club will also only be able to spend a percentage of its turnover on player-related expenditure. In League One this is set at 60%, and at League Two it is 50% under the new rules.

A panel member asked whether similar restrictions apply in the Championship. Mr Reeves clarified that the second tier operates under Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which regulate cumulative losses over a three-year period, limited to £39 million and carried over from lower divisions.

Mr Reeves stressed that the club has little choice but to work within the constraints of both models, focusing on reducing losses while maximising revenue across all areas of the business. To this end, the senior leadership team has developed and begun implementing a comprehensive revenue development plan.

This strategy includes the creation of new spaces, such as H Town, acquiring a majority stake in the stadium to enhance matchday revenue, leveraging new sponsorship opportunities, expanding the club’s retail operations, introducing new hospitality lounges, investing in innovative concourse technology, and increasing events, concerts, and other non-matchday revenue streams.

Mr Reeves noted that the club had long priced season cards below market value, posing a challenge to revenue generation, especially in light of the upcoming changes to SCMP. As a result, he stated that prices will need to be reviewed, with new pricing models devised to ensure that season cards remain accessible to a wide cross section of supporters, including those unable to pay more. The overall goal, he added, was to strike a balance between competitiveness on the pitch and affordability off it.

HTSA enquired whether this would result in an increase in season card prices. Mr Reeves confirmed that it would. A HTSA delegate then asked about categorisation. Mr Reeves said that pricing categories would likely be reintroduced, with the most expensive being in the Riverside Stand Upper, followed by the Riverside Stand Lower, Kilner Bank Stand, South Stand, Terriers Together Upper Tier, and Terriers Together Lower Tier. However, he emphasised that even with these revisions, Town’s pricing would still be somewhere near the bottom quartile of the EFL Championship prices of the 23/24 season league table example that was presented.

Another HTSA representative asked what the new prices would be and whether the club had conducted market research to assess the projected impact of various price increases on sales volume and overall revenue. Mr Reeves replied that the club is at the beginning of its consultation process, which will involve the ATT feedback, wider management team and the Chairman.

HTSA followed up by asking how the new Sky TV deal for the EFL might affect attendances and, in turn, ticket pricing — specifically whether it could lead other clubs to lower their prices and how that would affect Town’s approach. Mr Reeves responded that the club was assessing the situation. David Threlfall-Sykes added that the club is making a concerted effort to enhance the matchday experience, ensuring that attending games remains more enjoyable than watching from home.

Mr Threlfall-Sykes further pointed out that because season cards have been relatively affordable for an extended period and few seats have been available for general sale, little attempt had been made to develop flexible pricing options for matchday tickets. As such, the club is now exploring new ways to address this through various ticketing initiatives, especially for local schools.

Robyn Kennerdale picked up on the last point, stating that the club does not want to price people out of the stadium and affordable options will still be available. She said that juniors are a key demographic, and the club aims to keep prices low for them. In addition, she highlighted the club’s ongoing community engagement efforts, including discounts for junior football clubs, schools, armed forces personnel, and NHS workers, as well as schemes such as Terrier 7s.

HTSA agreed with Ms Kennerdale’s sentiment, suggesting that such initiatives are essential to maintaining the club’s identity as a family-friendly and community-based organisation. They added that this commitment should be recognised and celebrated.

A panel member asked whether walk-up ticket prices would increase and if they would be categorised. Robyn Kennerdale stated that no decision had been made yet.

2.     Stadium Update

HTSA and the Cowshed Loyal asked the club for an update on negotiations to transfer operational control of the stadium to Huddersfield Town.

Mr Threlfall-Sykes reported that while the club, Huddersfield Giants, and Kirklees Council are broadly in agreement, the process remains at the legal stage.

3.     South Stand Concourse and Catering

A Cowshed Loyal representative raised concerns about long wait times for food on the South Stand concourse, noting that it is often served lukewarm.

Ms Kennerdale acknowledged the issue, promising that the club would examine possible solutions, including speaking with supporters in the South Stand to gather feedback.

A panel member remarked that some away grounds allow supporters to exit into a fenced-off area with food vans, similar to a fan zone. They then questioned whether this could be an option at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Ms Kennerdale replied that while the idea had been considered, there are logistical challenges, with the available space being too narrow to accommodate such an arrangement.

4.     Club Retail Strategy

Luke Cowan delivered a presentation on the club’s retail strategy, outlining plans for a new shop at the site of the former Ropewalk pub. The facility will encompass various amenities, and could feature memorabilia displays.

The club, he continued, is taking a new approach to retail, focusing on heritage themes and retro kits, including the return of authentic 1990s Gola home and away shirts. The club also intends to expand its range of streetwear and leisurewear.

Mr Reeves explained that the club’s aim is to modernise its retail offering while adopting best practices from across the industry. Mr Cowan encouraged supporters to share their ideas or interesting products from other clubs with the retail team.

5.     Any Other Business (AOB)

Rachel Taylor reiterated that the behaviour of some supporters at away matches remains a concern. She cited several incidents at Blackpool, where bottles were thrown onto the pitch, leading to a referee’s report. Ms Taylor urged supporters’ groups and representatives to help the club in communicating the negative impact of such behaviour to the wider fanbase.

Next, Mr Reeves requested feedback on the Blue and White Members Club, which currently combines four elements: a lottery, general membership, junior membership, and mascot experiences. He pointed to a problem with mascots being linked to a gambling product and said that, as a consequence, the club is reviewing the membership and benefits structure. This may lead to separate junior membership and mascot schemes.

A panel member enquired whether the Blue and White Members Club sees a significant number of new sign-ups each year or if it consists largely of legacy members. Mr Reeves said it is a mixture of both, with new subscribers primarily enticed by the lottery. Panel members were invited to email Supporters’ Services with suggestions for the future of the membership scheme. The Club will consider surveying Blue and White Members for wider feedback.

A panel member asked about the possibility of installing electric vehicle (EV) charging points at the stadium. Mr Threlfall-Sykes said that sustainability is a key priority for the club and confirmed that an external consultant is helping the senior leadership team to draft a sustainability strategy. He assured the panel that, in line with this commitment, EV charging points were being considered as part of the club’s long-term plans.

The meeting concluded at 20:16.