From the Allgäu to Upper Austria, from Thuringia to Texas, whenever FC Bayern fan club chairpersons meet, you can immediately sense what makes this club so special – a close-knit atmosphere, passion and an extraordinary sense of community. During the first half of the year, the chairpersons of 84 fan clubs, representing almost 20,000 organised FCB fans, came together at four regional fan club meetings.
The objective was once again to get to the heart of fans’ wishes, ideas and challenges through direct dialogue. “FC Bayern is an approachable club that is in constant personal contact with its fans. Our aim is to listen, to connect and to shape the future of the club together,” explained Markus Meindl, director of fan relations. It’s away from Munich that “the club learns first-hand how its offerings, services and collaboration with organised supporters can be improved even further”. Bayern listens before Bayern acts.
The deep sense of connection to the club was palpable everywhere. A fan club meeting took place in Austria for the first time, with the aim of bringing the vibrant fan club and fan scene in the neighbouring country closer together and further strengthening the sense of community. In the Allgäu region, Bavarian tradition and a family atmosphere characterised the gathering, whilst Thuringia looked back with pride on its active community and the successful development of its fan club network. In Houston, fan club presidents from across North America met in person for the first time. The focus was on exchanging best practices, digital community-building approaches and shared ideas for the further development of FC Bayern in the USA. In this way, the red-and-white passion is carried across the Atlantic and the ‘Mia san Mia’ spirit spans several time zones.
The topics discussed at all the meetings centred on current fan-related issues and infrastructure matters concerning the club and fan clubs. Particular emphasis was placed on the vital role of youth representatives. They act as direct points of contact for young fans, engaging them at an early stage, involving them in the club, and fostering a long-term passion for FC Bayern, so that that first jersey becomes a lifelong love. There were also in-depth discussions on the fan club programme, online fan club management, (digital) tickets, the players’ popular Christmas visits, the Dream Match, the “Regions on Tour” trips and open training sessions. This consistently creates a direct line of communication between the club and the fan clubs, which helps to tailor offerings precisely and bring the FC Bayern family even closer together.
This successful dialogue initiative will continue in the second half of the year, with regional fan club meetings planned in Chiemgau, Lower Franconia, the Upper Palatinate and other places. FC Bayern is thus staying true to its commitment to being an accessible club, staying close to the people who support it with such passion around the world.
