Building Stronger Relationships Across the Football Community
Last month, we looked at the State of the Game report and the important role that PST Board Member Ashley Brown plays through the Football Supporters' Association (FSA), including how his work benefits us as a Trust.
This month, we turn our attention to how the Portsmouth Supporters' Trust (PST) engages with other supporter groups, both within Pompey and across the wider football community.
We will focus on the work of PST Board Member Simon Colebrook, a former PST Chair and current Treasurer, who plays an important role in ensuring that the voices of Pompey supporters are heard, represented and considered at local and national levels.
Tony Goodall Fans' Conference (TGFC)
Simon represents the PST on the Tony Goodall Fans' Conference (TGFC), the collective consultation and engagement body bringing together 16 supporter groups associated with Portsmouth FC.
The TGFC meets four times a year with senior football club representatives.
These meetings provide an important opportunity for supporter groups to raise concerns, share feedback and discuss key operational matters affecting fans. Topics include team performance, player availability, the matchday experience, ticket pricing, catering and hospitality.
Through this forum, the PST helps ensure that supporters have a meaningful voice in discussions about the club and the issues that matter to them.
Football Supporters' Association (FSA)
The PST is also an active member of the Football Supporters' Association (FSA), the national organisation representing the interests of football supporters across the country.
The FSA works closely with the UK Government, the Football Association (FA), the various football leagues (including the Premier League, EFL, National League and women's football leagues) and, more recently, the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). Its work helps ensure that supporters' interests are represented in discussions about football policy, governance and regulation.
The FSA operates several supporter networks covering the Premier League, EFL, women's football and other areas of the game. These networks bring together fans from different clubs to discuss shared challenges, exchange ideas and identify issues affecting supporters and their clubs.
Each network elects representatives to the FSA National Council, which is responsible for determining the organisation's policy and strategic direction. The FSA also holds an annual conference and AGM each summer, providing opportunities for discussion, training workshops and supporter groups to propose motions that help shape the organisation's future priorities.
Simon represents the PST on both the EFL and Women's Football networks. In these roles, he raises issues affecting Pompey supporters while also sharing experience, advice and support with fan groups from other clubs.
In 2025, Simon was elected by Championship supporter groups as one of their representatives on the FSA National Council. He will serve in this role until 2027.
He also regularly attends structured dialogue meetings with the FA, EFL and Women's Super League (WSL), representing the collective interests of the supporter groups within these networks. In addition, he has contributed to consultation meetings on proposed changes to league structures and regulations.
This involvement gives the PST an important opportunity to influence discussions and help ensure that the experiences and concerns of supporters are considered when decisions are made about the future of football.
Independent Football Regulator (IFR)
Simon also plays a role in the development of football's future regulatory framework as a member of the initial Fan Advisory Panel to the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), with a particular focus on football finance.
The Fan Advisory Panel was established to provide advice and feedback to the IFR on policy, guidance and significant issues affecting football supporters.
The Panel has been actively involved in the development of the regulator's policies and guidance, helping to ensure that the supporters' perspective is considered as the new regulatory framework takes shape.
Its work now includes providing feedback on the State of the Game report and the licensing process that all clubs will be required to follow.
Having supporter representation in these discussions is vital. It helps ensure that the introduction of new regulations takes account not only of the financial and operational challenges facing football clubs but also of the interests of the supporters who are at the heart of the game.
Why This Matters to the PST and Pompey Supporters
Simon’s involvement across these two organisations demonstrates his breadth of engagement which can only benefit the PST on behalf of its members and the wider Pompey supporter community.
From regular dialogue with our club to influencing national football policy and contributing to the development of football regulation, these roles provide valuable opportunities to make supporters' voices heard.
They also allow the PST to build relationships with other supporter organisations, share knowledge and experience, and learn from the challenges and successes of other clubs.
Ultimately, being an effective supporters' trust means more than simply representing fans locally. It means having a voice, building influence and ensuring that supporters remain central to the decisions that shape the future of their football club and the wider game.
This is an important part of what the PST does on behalf of its members and the wider Pompey community.