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Orlando City Soccer To Create 'Fan Council'


July 21st, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando- Orlando City Soccer is forming a fan advisory council, which the club says will help improve the experience for fans at soccer matches. The move comes after four Orlando fans were arrested at the Orlando City- Tampa Bay Rowdies Game in St. Petersburg on July 6th.

[Orlando City Fans will watch MLS games in a new, purpose built stadium. Photo: Ernest Duffoo, WMFE]

Club president Phil Rawlins says that incident at the game in St. Petersburg doesn’t represent the behavior of the majority of Orlando fans. 

He says most of them follow the fan Code of Conduct. 

“All we’re really doing is implementing that," he says.

"The vast, vast majority of fans already abide by it and support it. It doesn’t necessarily change things but it does enable us to put a platform in place to ensure that all our fans whatever age or whatever demographic they come from can come out and have an enjoyable experience at the games.”

Rawlins says the fan council will include representatives from all segments of the club’s fan base, and it will help provide feedback on the game experience, seating concessions and other things. 

“It’s something that I’ve been involved in the past while I was on the board at Stoke City, and it certainly added a tremendous amount of value and gave the fans a great voice to have their input and their feedback heard.” 

People 18 and older who want to be on the council can email the club to apply. 

The four fans who were arrested at the Orlando- Tampa Bay Rowdies Game are suspended from attending games pending the outcome of their legal cases.

A further 11 fans have been suspended from attending games until after the All-Star game in 2015. 

Meanwhile only one of the two suspended fan clubs- the Ruckus- has been allowed to return as an official supporters group after agreeing to follow the fan code of conduct.  

Orlando city soccer says the other supporter group- the Iron Lion Firm- declined to meet with club leaders.

Orlando will enter Major League Soccer in 2015. 


 

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