Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic AFC
Customer Charter

Oldham Athletic is extremely proud of the support given to the club by our supporters both home and away as well as business partners. We are constantly reviewing the key policies of the club and are fully committed to providing an excellent standard of customer service and improving the overall supporter experience.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Oldham Athletic regards customer service as a major priority. The club’s policy is to respond to all enquiries and complaints - whether via telephone, email, fax or letter - within a maximum of fourteen working days. If there are justifiable reasons as to why a full response cannot be given within this time, the customer will receive an acknowledgement and be advised as to how long a full response will take.

For supporter enquiries, please email supporter.services@oldhamathletic.co.uk in the first instance.

For all complaints relating to Oldham Athletic, please also contact supporter.services@oldhamathletic.co.uk directly via email or call 0161 785 5179. To submit a formal complaint to Oldham Athletic, please direct these to Pamela Makin and ensure you specify you wish to make a formal complaint.

Department Contacts

• Football Secretary - Jack Tomlinson
• Commercial - Steven Brown
• Academy - Graham Yates
• Safety Officer - Mark Ogden
• Community Trust - Martin Vose
• Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) - Adam Street
• Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) - Pamela Makin

With all complaints should a supporter be unsatisfied by the club’s response or failure to respond, then the next stage for the complaint to be escalated is to the IFO, their contact details are:

The Independent Football Ombudsman
Suite 49
33 Great George Street
Leeds
LS1 3AJ

OLDHAM ATHLETIC OBJECTIVES
The Oldham Athletic Customer Charter outlines the principle objectives, policies and commitments whereby the club will:

• Offer a high level of customer service.
• Maintain and improve upon a high level of communication with all interested parties.
• Aim to constantly improve the matchday experience both on and off the pitch.
• Attract new supporters and investors.
• Provide a safe environment where people can enjoy themselves.
• Create an inspiring commercial environment with which businesses want to be associated. 
• Continue to work closely with the Community Trust improving links with the local community.
• Maintain and improve upon our commitment to all families and young supporters.
• Strive to develop its identity as a hard-working, fresh-thinking, risk-taking club.
• To communicate our commitment to equality and diversity most effectively.

CONSULTATION, COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION
The club recognises the importance of proactive communication with all of its supporters, stakeholders, sponsors and local authorities. Oldham Athletic’s position on major policy issues and all club announcements will be publicised on a regular basis through supporter forums and via its official media channels. In particular:

• The official club website: www.oldhamathletic.co.uk
• The official Facebook page: /OfficialOAFC
• The official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC
• The official Instagram account: @OfficialOAFC
• CRM data: SMS and email marketing in particular.
• iFollow Latics 
• Matchday communication: including but limited to ground advertising and matchday programme.

The club will endeavour to give the earliest possible notice of any changes to its membership and/or ticketing policy and the reasons for the changes. The club organises numerous events through the season whereby supporters and all interested parties can meet with the players and staff in an open and informal atmosphere. Oldham Athletic is extremely proud of our relationship with all of our interested parties and will continue to strive for improvement of the overall supporter experience through regular communication with supporters in a clear and precise manner. The club is an active participant in the English Football League National Fans Survey which researches and gives feedback on the overall supporter experience of all clubs within the EFL.

Expert Working Group Recommendations on Supporter Engagement - Regulation 121

Following the outcome of the Government's recent Expert Working Group (EWG) Supporter Ownership and Engagement discussions, from 2016/17, the introduction of EFL regulation 112 means senior executives at clubs will be required to, 'hold at least two meetings/fans forums per Season to which its supporters (or representatives) are to be invited in order to discuss significant issues relating to the Club'. These meetings will take place throughout the season and be chaired by representatives from Trust Oldham.

STAFF CONDUCT
Oldham Athletic is committed to confronting and eliminating all forms of discrimination to all involved in the professional game.

Oldham Athletic is an equal opportunities employer: No job applicant or current employee of the club will receive less favourable treatment by the club on any of the following grounds: age, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status or civil partnership race, nationality, ethnicity (race), religion or belief, ability or disability, pregnancy and maternity or any other unjustifiable reason. This is in relation to:

• The advertisement of jobs.
• The selection of candidates for employment or promotion.
• Job location or working environment.
• Pay and employment terms and conditions.
• Internal training and development activities.
• External education activities and awards.
• Football development activities.
• Selection for representative teams.
• Appointments to honorary positions.

Oldham Athletic will not tolerate any form of harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal and will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with an appropriate disciplinary action in whatever context it occurs. The staff of Oldham Athletic will always conduct themselves in an honest and courteous manner.

Oldham Athletic strictly adheres to The English Football League’s anti-discrimination policy and fully supports the Football Association in its commitment to developing a programme of ongoing training and awareness-raising events and activities in order to promote the eradication of discrimination.

SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Oldham Athletic are committed to safeguarding the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to our care. A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any club football activity. Every child or young person who plays or participates in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse. OAFC are committed to working to provide a safe environment for all and we aim to achieve this through adherence to The Football Association’s (FA) Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedure and to The English Football League guidelines that have been adopted by the club. Oldham Athletic Football Club recognises and acknowledges that safeguarding is the responsibility of every adult involved in our club. It is noted and accepted that in line with The FA’s guidance this applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. OAFC expects any person involved with the club in any capacity to adhere to and be committed to this safeguarding policy and follow the procedures outlined if they have a concern or receive a disclosure regarding the welfare of a child.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC EQUALITY STATEMENT
The Football League is responsible for setting the standards, values and expectations of all Clubs in relation to equality, inclusion and diversity. Football is for everyone; it belongs to, and should be enjoyed by anyone who wants to participate in it, whether as a player, official, staff member or spectator.

The aim of the Oldham Athletic Equality Policy is to promote our own equality objectives and in doing so, help to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. All Oldham Athletic representatives should abide by and adhere to this Policy and to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. In doing so, we are working towards being legally compliant in relation to equality legislation.

THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF THIS POLICY ARE:

1. The child’s welfare is, and must always be the paramount consideration. All children and young people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation
2. Develop promote and review ways of protecting this group of children and young people from discrimination, abuse, exploitation, or treatment which degrades them
3. All concerns and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to appropriately
4. Working in partnership with other organisations, e.g. Police and Children’s Social Care, The Football Authorities, children and young people and their parents/carers is essential. Guidance from The Football Authorities, The Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and Government Guidance or in light of any serious safeguarding incident.

The staff and volunteers of Oldham Athletic (2004) AFC Ltd are not experts in recognising child abuse. It is therefore expected that if any person at the club has a concern about the welfare of a child they will discuss their concerns with the Child Protection Officer (CPO) who is the person designated within the club to deal with child protection matters.

Direct contact should be made to safeguarding@oldhamathletic.co.uk in the strictest confidence.

TICKETING POLICY
Details of all changes regarding ticketing will be regularly made available via the Boundary Park Ticket Office on 0161 785 5150, the club’s official website and via the online ticketing system. All ticket sales are subject to terms and conditions in conjunction with the Stadium Regulations.

Accessibility to matches is a priority and the club strives to make purchasing a ticket as quick and easy as possible. Supporters can purchase tickets via the following options:

@ OAFC Ticket Office

Over the phone: 0161 785 5150 - contact hours are the same as the above days and times.

Online: Simply visit the official Oldham Athletic website, navigate to the tickets section and click ‘Buy Match Tickets’. The option to pay on the turnstile will be made available whenever possible for fans but please check in advance.

Payment Options
All major credit/debit cards are accepted with some exceptions. This payment method is not available at the turnstiles. There is no additional charge for credit card payment.

Oldham Athletic endeavours to offer a broad range of ticket prices and initiatives. The club is a proud member of Tickets for Troops and also offers half-price admission for all members of the armed forces.

The club actively participates in all EFL ticket promotions.

If a supporter arrives at the match without their season card/ticket then they can request a reprinted ticket from the ticket office. Should a supporter lose their season card or have it stolen then the ticket office will be able to provide a replacement season card, this will incur an administration charge of £10.00.

Supporters may wish to move seats on occasions during the season. Any season ticket holder or match ticket holder can move their allocated seat for a specific match in advance of the matchday free of charge. This can be done in person at the ticket office or via phone 0161 785 5150. For any requests to move seats on a matchday, there will be an administration charge of £5 per transaction.

Allocations
At least 5% of tickets to each game will be made available to non-season ticket holders. The Club considers there are no severely restricted view seats that qualify for discounted prices.

The club provides a designated family section for exclusive use by family groups and junior supporters. This area is located in the OACT Family Stand (formerly the Rochdale Road End).

Boundary Park currently has 63 dedicated wheelchair spaces available with provisions for the carer to sit with the supporter: These are situated in the Jimmy Frizzell Stand (elevated view), the Chadderton Road End (pitch level) and the North Stand (both elevated and pitch level).

Accommodating Away Supporters
The Club abides by EFL regulations governing the allocation of tickets to visiting clubs. Admission prices to supporters of a visiting club will never be higher than those charged to our own supporters for comparable accommodation. In particular, our concessionary rates offered to senior citizens and junior supporters apply to supporters of a visiting club.

Concessions
Concessionary prices are available to under 12s, under 18s, over 65s, students, members of the armed forces and charities. For the avoidance of doubt, the person must be under/over the age stated on the ticket on match day. We recommend that the supporter should carry an ID in case validation of age is required.

Disabled fans should purchase a ticket that is relevant to their age category. Carers are admitted free of charge and will be seated next to the wheelchair spaces or as close as possible subject to availability. Proof of disability is required from any supporter wanting to receive a free carer ticket. This can be any of the following:

• A statement of high mobility/living allowance as issued by the Department of Work & Pensions.
• Receipt of enhanced PIP Allowance.
• Blind or partially sighted registration certificate.

For further information, please look at our disability policy.

Away Matches
The club’s supporters are allocated tickets for away matches as follows:

Where ticket allocation by the home club is restricted, season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets, and subsequently, any remaining tickets will then go on open sale. The home club determines the cost of these tickets.

Generally, tickets for away matches will go on priority sale for Season Ticket holders first for 1-2 weeks, and then following that they will go on open sale.

Cup Competitions
Tickets for cup competitions are priced relative to the importance of the competition and are allocated as follows;

Where tickets are restricted, season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets, and subsequently, any remaining tickets will go on open sale.

Returns & Refunds
The club’s policy on the return and distribution of unwanted tickets is as follows:

If a match is postponed before kick-off, ticket holders are entitled to free admission to the re-arranged game. If a match is abandoned after kick-off, spectators are entitled to half-price admission to the re-arranged match. If a match is abandoned after the second half has begun, no refund shall be given.

Unwanted tickets returned with a genuine reason with a minimum of 24 hours prior to the kick-off of any match will receive a full refund, whereas tickets returned after a game has taken place will not be eligible for a refund under any circumstances.

Any returned tickets are immediately put back on open sale. Supporters are kindly reminded that any attempt to sell a ticket that they have purchased is a criminal offence as per section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The club will not provide refunds on season ticket purchases. In the case of exceptional circumstances, the club will accept a written application explaining the reason for the refund request and a decision will be reached by the club's management. The club reserve the right to reject any applications.

HOSPITALITY
The Club is the location for all of the club’s matchday hospitality details of which can be found:

• On the Commercial section of the official club website: www.oldhamathletic.co.uk
• Upon request to commercial@oldhamahtletic.co.uk

RETAIL
The club’s retail is currently the responsibility of hummel. All official club merchandise can be purchased in our Club Fanstore, online at www.oafcstore.co.uk and in the new club shop at Boundary Park in the corner of the Joe Royle Stand.

The club endeavours to ensure that all replica strip designs shall have a minimum life span of one season. We will endeavour to consult with supporters as to the frequency of strip changes and its design and pricing. The club carries out its obligations under EFL regulations to prevent price-fixing in relation to the sale of replica strips and offers refunds on merchandise in accordance with its legal obligations.

We promise that all official merchandise is, to our knowledge, of satisfactory quality. The club will endeavour to communicate with our supporters to acquire a better understanding of the preferred stock.

DATA
Oldham Athletic may collect personal information from supporters. We take personal data very seriously and this data will be used in line with the GDPR legislation:

• To contact supporters with official club news.
• To contact supporters with details of special offers from the club or its affiliates.
• To process any transaction a supporter may make with the club.
• To personalise any communication between the club and its supporters.
• Under no circumstances will Oldham Athletic disclose supporter’s personal data to any third party unless required by law.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Oldham Athletic is extremely proud of its Community Trust programme, a charitable organisation (charity number 1120894) which was established over 25 years ago, which organises a varied programme of activities aimed at all sectors of the community.

The Trust was originally established under the banner of Football in the Community with the aim to bring the professional club and their community closer together. A natural progression from Football in the Community resulted in the scheme being taken on to work alongside and under the guidance of the English Football League Trust.

The Trust aims to support the local community regardless of age, gender, race, religion or skill level and promote a healthier lifestyle through sport by encouraging individuals to take part in fun-based activities, which develop confidence, co-operation and education.

The main areas of work are:

• School provision
• Holiday provision 
• Inclusion/community projects 
• Volunteering 
• Development centres 
• OAFC matchday activities

In conjunction with the Community Trust, the club has developed strong partnerships with:

• JD Williams – national distribution company
• McDonald's – global fast-food enterprise 
• First Choice Homes – local independent housing authority 
• Oldham Council – local authority
• Polyflor Limited

More information on the work carried out by the Trust can be obtained from Community Trust Coordinators, Wendy Noble and Martin Vose.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Oldham Athletic is extremely proud of its fundraising achievements. The club is very pro-active in supporting the official charity partner of the EFL, Prostate Cancer UK. Every season, the club designates at least one game to fundraise for Prostate Cancer UK and during the 2012/13 season, the Prostate Cancer UK name was carried on the back of all first, reserve and youth team shirts.

Oldham Athletic also supports ‘Once Upon A Smile’, a local children’s charity that work closely with hospitals, hospices, schools and other charities offering support to families of children with illnesses. The club hosts an annual charity football game consisting of ex-players and local celebrities with all proceeds going to the charity.

The club also runs a toy appeal every Christmas for the local Hospital and supports many other charities including the local hospice by supporting their events, providing players and mascots and giving them as much exposure through our official media channels as possible.

CHARITY DONATIONS
Oldham Athletic receives an extremely large number of donation requests. Although the requests come from very worthy causes, it is impossible for the club to be able to help everyone.

Oldham Athletic Donation Policy
Oldham Athletic will donate two match tickets per charity request for charities located within the Oldham area. All requests must be submitted in writing and accompanied by authorisation from the charity. Match tickets are available for Home League games only and are subject to change. If signed merchandise is required, the item must be purchased separately and the club will waiver the £10 player signing fee with the relevant documentation. No charity donations are to be given in the closed season.

All charity requests should be sent in writing to enquiries@oldhamathletic.co.uk or Oldham Athletic AFC, Boundary Park, Furtherwood Road, Oldham, OL1 2PB.

Bucket collection requests should be directed to Wendy Noble on email in the first instance.

Boundary Park
Boundary Park has a capacity of 13,560 which is broken down into:

• 3,601 in the Chadderton Road End
• 3,062 in the Jimmy Frizzell Stand (Rochdale Road End)
• 1,628 in the OACT Family Stand
• 1,686 in the Main Stand Upper
• 908 in the Main Stand Lower
• 2,677 in the Joe Royle Stand (North Stand)

The Broadway Suite on the first floor of the North Stand has a capacity of 180, a sponsors lounge with a capacity of 22 and the nine (9) private boxes have a total capacity of 92.

Boundary Park is a strictly no smoking stadium and re-admittance on match-days is not permitted should a supporter wish to leave the stadium to smoke.

Oldham Athletic is committed to its zero-tolerance policy regarding racism and any other form of discrimination. The club fully endorses the anti-discrimination campaigns ‘Kick It Out’, and ‘Show Racism The Red Card’.

Parking
There is an onsite car park at Boundary Park which operates tickets on a seasonal basis. Season tickets can be bought for this from the Boundary Park Ticket Office.

Off-site car parking is located at the hospital car park at a cost of £5.

Catering
From 2019 onwards, all of Oldham Athletic's match-day catering will be managed by Quirky Catering.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Oldham Athletic is dedicated to becoming a more sustainable football club and reducing the impact that the club has on the environment. We seek to reduce the impacts of our activities by implementing the following initiatives:

• Promote healthier food for our players, staff, visitors and fans. Using increasing percentages of local and organic ingredients – and offer a more diverse and healthier food choice.
• Utilise recycling units around the club and training ground.
• Look into the use of solar PV at the club to reduce the stadium’s reliance on the grid.

The club actively encourages ideas and suggestions for anything not yet considered, from within and outside of the club.