In England, League 1 (third tier) club Doncaster Rovers recently announced that they have appointed a third SLO, saying “the project has been of great benefit to Doncaster Rovers but also the teams they faced last season“.
Dean Parker, the newest ‘signing’ of the Doncaster Rovers SLO volunteer team, has been a Rovers supporter and season ticket holder for over 20 years, attending almost every match, and was selected for his good communication skills and passion for the club. Along with Lee Croft and Mark Hughesman, the three-man SLO volunteer team of Doncaster Rovers are a vital link between the fans and the club. They keep all parties up to date on the day to day running of the club and provide a warm and friendly welcome to visiting supporters to the Keepmoat Stadium.
Earlier, right after the end of the season, Shaun Lockwood (Communications Manager at Doncaster Rovers) was saying “We’ve been thrilled with the work our two supporter liaison officers have undertaken this season. The work they have undertaken as volunteers on behalf of both the fans and the Club has not gone unnoticed and as a club we have received several requests from other clubs across the Football League who have wanted to replicate the success we have had. Mark and Lee have made themselves available to assist supporters on almost a 24/7 basis, including of course matches (home and away) and club events.
Acting as a point of contact for enquiries we’ve had into the club and ensuring that any problems or issues are dealt with swiftly for the benefit of both parties, the Supporter Liaison Officer project has been of great benefit to Doncaster Rovers but also the teams we have faced this season, as one of the areas Mark and Lee have had the most success is with visiting supporters at Keepmoat Stadium. Their presence for away fans has been praised by almost every club who has played at Keepmoat Stadium this year and their pro-active approach to contacting fans through a variety of channels has helped highlight Doncaster Rovers as a welcoming venue for all supporters, regardless of the team they follow. Whilst Supporter Liaison Officers are a new concept for football clubs in this country, it is the club’s opinion that in Mark and Lee we have found two volunteers who fully understand the role and are operating at an exemplary standard“.
For more information please visit Doncaster Rovers’ SLO twitter (@SLO_DRFC).