Over two days at the FSOA’s Annual General Meeting this week, it was clear once again why the Association continues to play such an important role in shaping spectator safety across not only football but wider sporting events too.
Why we became a Platinum Partner of the FSOA
As a platinum partner, this relationship is of real value to us because of what the FSOA represents: professionalism, learning, and continuous improvement across safety management.
That long-standing commitment to developing professional competencies across the sector aligns closely with our own values at Crowdguard. Founder Deborah Ainscough comments, “Becoming a platinum partner of the FSOA is not just an investment in the future of public safety, but a reaffirmation of our commitment to doing the right thing. Our partnership is about far more than sponsorship. It is about collaboration, sharing best practice, and working together to create safer environments for everyone inside and outside the stadium. That same emphasis on proportionate, layered protection sits at the heart of Crowdguard’s approach to HVM.”
Positive conversations and thought-provoking discussions
The AGM itself brought together positive conversations and thought-provoking discussion from across the sector, including John Rutherford’s reflections on the Safety Officer experience at Port Vale v Swindon Town, which added further operational value, grounding the event in the day-to-day realities that so many safety teams face.
Seeing the bigger picture
One of the standout presentations came from Jim Royan of Security in Sport (International), who spoke about protecting the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year, where we will be delivering HVM support”. His central message was particularly relevant: “Don’t look at things in isolation. Try and see the bigger picture and look at all the wider impact factors”.
He then reinforced an important point around risk-based decision-making, that taking a proportionate approach should not be mistaken for being overly relaxed. In reality, it reflects a considered, sustainable way of managing risk that demonstrates due diligence and sound judgement.
Particularly in publicly funded events, there can sometimes be a tendency to plan beyond what the assessed risk requires. One of the ongoing challenges for the sector is to remain focused on what is proportionate and necessary, while having the confidence to challenge any narrative that suggests a risk-led approach is insufficient. When applied properly, it is not only appropriate, but effective and defensible.
That is a message that resonates strongly with us at Crowdguard, and reflects our own position that HVM should be proportionate, risk-led and fully integrated into wider planning, not treated as a standalone measure
Jim also highlighted the importance of understanding ingress, egress, arrival profiles, existing venue capabilities, and the need for HVM to sit within a wider operational plan. His reference to Zone Ex responsibilities, accessibility, communication, and neighbouring venues was a useful reminder that effective protection is never just about placing barriers. It is about how products, processes and people work together in a live environment. That same principle is reflected in Crowdguard’s own layered methodology and in the solutions we discussed during the AGM.
Strengthening our Plan - Provide - Protect Methodology with new partnerships
During our speaking session, we were pleased to discuss two of our new partnerships, strengthening our Plan – Provide – Protect approach; Audiebant Outdoor and Snapshot Live. As presented by MD Iain Moran during the AGM, Audiebant adds an additional layer to HVM strategies by connecting planning, coordination and communications through a rapidly deployable public address capability that supports routine operations, wayfinding and incident response. Snapshot Live, meanwhile, provides an optional quality assurance and due-diligence tool through time-stamped still-image capture of deployed HVM layouts, supporting the Protect element of our overall approach.
Ultimately, the FSOA’s mission remains as relevant now as ever: improving safety at football grounds by enhancing the role of safety management and the status of the Safety Officer within the football industry. By promoting best practice, supporting stewarding standards and continually developing professional expertise, the Association continues to strengthen safety culture across clubs and venues nationwide.
We are proud to support that mission and to work alongside the FSOA, safety officers and football clubs as part of a shared commitment to better, more proportionate, and more professional spectator safety.