The newly-elected chairman of the Liverpool Supporters Board believes the establishment of a legally-binding commitment with the club is an opportunity for optimism among fans. Joe Blott, who is also chairman of the Spirit of Shankly group, was one of 16 representatives of the new board to hold their first meeting after a contract was signed with club officials. “We are moving into a new era of engagement with our club and I am really looking forward to working even more closely alongside partners and affiliates,” said Blott. “This is historic, groundbreaking work, a step into the unknown but one I truly believe will be a benefit to our current fans but more importantly, a legacy for future generations. “This opportunity should be one of optimism for the Supporters Board and LFC supporters in general, and we need to capitalise on the new model.” Liverpool have committed to consult and engage with fans on key strategic issues such as matchday experience, ticketing arrangements and to give fans consent over heritage items. The commitment to engage with fans will be enshrined in the club’s Articles of Association. “This is an important day in the club’s history and is of huge strategic importance,” said Liverpool’s managing director, Andy Hughes. “It’s important to us that we have engagement with our fans and that they can input into important strategic matters, having the Supporters Board means we put a process in place that is more formal but in a meaningful way.”