Mayor Trias welcomes city’s supporters clubs

An FC Barcelona delegation joined representatives of the city’s supporters clubs at a reception held by Mayor Xavier Trias at the City Hall today, where they were joined by assistant mayors Joaquim Forn and Maite Fandos, the president of the Grup Municipal UpB, Jordi Portabella, and district governors Mercè Homs, Jordi Martí, Xavier Mulleras and Francina Vila. The vice-president of the Social Area, Jordi Cardoner, led the FCB representation, where he was accompanied by director Pau Vilanova, the supporters clubs trustee, Ramon Térmens, and representatives of the more than 50 supporters clubs from different parts of the city.

The idea behind this initiative by the club was to improve collaboration between Barça supporters clubs and different city institutions and thus ensure more solid interrelations in social, sporting and cultural terms. In the rest of Catalonia and Spain, such relations are being established very satisfactorily, but given the size of Barcelona and the many activities generated by the club, matters are much more complicated in the Catalan capital.

It’s all part of the ‘Penyes Segle XXI’ project that is seeking to raise awareness of the supporters club movement. The Supporters Clubs Council wants to work more closely with the local authorities and today’s meeting was the starting point for ensuring greater integration of the supporters clubs in local associations.

Statement by vice-president Jordi Cardoner

“This is the first time in the history of this club that the supporters clubs have come here to express their views and start work on a project to move the movement closer to the people. There are many clubs in Barcelona but they do not have the same percentage memberships that they might have in other places. That’s probably because the stadium is so much closer. We need to work hard on building associations in the city of Barcelona and the Mayor is here to help us set up this project, one which we hope will be a success”.

Statement by Mayor Xavier Trias

“I thank FC Barcelona for coming here because all of the clubs in this city are important to the Barcelona City Council. But one of these is a very special leading club, FC Barcelona, with thousands of supporters club members around the world. In many ways the image of Barcelona as a city is boosted tremendously by that of Barça”.