Darlington FC are delighted to announce the appointment of David Collinge to the role of Darlington FC Supporters’ Liaison Officer (SLO).

This newly-created post will act as a bridge between the Football Club and our supporters with the aim of building and maintaining an ongoing dialogue between our fans and the Club itself. By engaging more with our fans at Blackwell Meadows and on non-matchdays, acting as a contact point for feedback the SLO will help drive improvements in the Matchday Experience for supporters and make sure our supporters’ voices are heard clearly by the club.

The SLO will also be tasked with understanding matters affecting all relevant areas including, but not limited to, safety regulations, ticketing regulations, travel arrangements, etc. The SLO will also participate in planning meetings prior to key fixtures, to ensure the best outcomes from a supporter’s perspective.

David Johnston, the club's Chief Executive Officer said: “This is an important appointment as we aim to facilitate stronger communication between our supporters and the Football Club, with the goal of enhancing the levels of service to all the club’s supporters. Many of you will already know David from the volunteer work he does for the Football Club on matchdays and his recent election to the Supporters’ Group board. With a deep knowledge and passion for the club, alongside strong communication abilities, I’m delighted David has taken up this position.”

David Collinge, new SLO said: “During my time volunteering at the club, I have had many chats over the years with fans either at matches (home or away) or on social media who invariably come up with ideas about how we can improve the match-day experience. However, there is a danger that these ideas can get lost. My role is to provide a central liaison point to capture these ideas and ensure the best of these ideas are implemented where resources allow. It is all about the fans buying into the direction of the club and feeling part of it, rather than feeling ignored. I’ll work closely with Rob Duncan who runs an excellent fans’ table on match-days and SLOs from similar clubs to ourselves to establish good processes. I’m really looking forward to being a part of this wider UEFA-endorsed movement of SLOs in football and hearing fans’ ideas.”

This is how you can contact David:

Email: slo@dfcsg.co.uk

Twitter: @DFC_SLO

Or visit the fans table in the bar before a home game

For further information on the role of an SLO:

http://www.fsf.org.uk/slo/slo-faqs/