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Preston North End’s chairman has responded to an open letter penned to him by supporters groups.
Headed as ‘time for action’ the letter from PNE Online and the Preston Supporters Collective Steering Group expressed their frustration with events at Deepdale.
They have demanded clarity from the club over its direction but also stressed they have faith in recently appointed Paul Heckingbottom.
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North End currently sit 19th in the Championship after 17 games, just two points above the relegation places and without a win in their last six games.
Fans are also concerned with the side being dubbed regularly as ‘the most boring club in the EFL”.
While Mr Hemmings did not directly address any of the issues within the letter itself he has agreed to meet with the supporters groups behind it – a move which has been welcomed by them.
Mr Hemming said, in a piece and statement posted on social media: “It has been brought to my attention that an open letter of concerns from PNE supporters has been posted online.
“Under the heading “Time For Action”, the authors detail various criticisms.
“It may interest some fans to know that the club hold quarterly meetings with Preston Supporters Collective. These regular meetings have an open agenda of club-related topics that are discussed. Senior members of the club’s hierarchy attend these meetings, with minutes available online.
“The most recent meeting was held with Preston Supporters Collective on 23rd September 2024, which Ben Rhodes from the club chaired.
“This season, the club has also set up a new Fan Advisory Network (FAN) and is due to meet with them on Wednesday evening, with representatives from both Preston Supporters Collective and PNE Online due to be present.
“To the best of my knowledge, the grievances raised in the open online letter were not discussed at the last meeting in September.
“However, I too am a proud supporter of PNE, and have been so since the early 1970s. I welcome the fans’ approach and am grateful for their offer to assist in any capacity.
“To this end, I have reached out to invite the authors of this open letter to meet with me in person to discuss ways in which we can strengthen our relationship with fans and help take concrete steps forward with the club.”
The supporters groups confirmed they would be meeting with Mr Hemmings and praised his ‘positive response regarding our concerns’.
In response to Mr Hemmings, the supporters groups behind the open letter told Blog Preston: “In the meantime, we urge the club to provide a clear response to the entire fanbase.
“However, words alone will not suffice; we need to see tangible, positive change.”
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