Brisbane Roar is delighted to announce the Members of its newly established Supporters Advisory Council.
The Supporters Advisory Council is made up of key representatives from the club’s supporters groups, along with a select group of fans that have a particular skill set that can help enable fan engagement & generate ideas and solutions alongside the club.
Supporters’ advisory council members have been selected based on their differing skill sets and will be responsible for representing different segments of Brisbane Roar fans at council meetings. Council members are passionate supporters of the club and of football in Queensland.
The Supporters Advisory Council will meet on a regular basis with the club to discuss all matters in the club relating to fan engagement.
Members and Supporters who wish to raise items for discussion at these meetings are encouraged to send their enquiries to: supporters@brisbaneroar.com.au.
Meeting minutes will be recorded with each meeting and published on the Brisbane Roar’s website, so supporters are aware of discussions and actions moving forward.
If Members and Supporters would like to reach out directly to certain Council Members regarding their discipline areas, they can be contacted directly via their emails below.
See below all council members and their backgrounds.
Chris May
Chris comes from a background in marketing, media, advertising, sports sponsorship, and media relations.
Chris has been a long-term supporter of the Brisbane Roar and is passionate about football in Australia.
Chris is currently the Managing Director of The Advertising Works, a Media and Marketing Agency in Brisbane.
He is the former State Manager of The Australian Newspaper & Fairfax Digital in Queensland and former President of the Gold Coast Media Club. He has also been the Agency Managing Director for the last four years.
An avid sports fan, he has worked with national organisations at both the Atlanta & Sydney Olympics as well as the Sydney Rugby World Cup.
He believes that through strategic partnerships, fan engagement will increase and hopes that highlighting club sponsors’ services and products, will be beneficial to members too.
Chris’ networks within the media and corporate space are an advantage for the club’s commercial & marketing interests.
Email: chris@advertisingworks.com.au
Chris Kelly
Chris is a passionate football fan, being present at the first-ever game of the Roar, he is a die-hard fan who has held season tickets and has been a regular away game supporter.
He was on the inaugural committee of the Roar Supporters Federation and has assisted in many of the initiatives and fan engagements that were undertaken during his tenure on the committee.
He also administers the well-populated Brisbane Roar Supporters Club group on Facebook for about seven years.
Chris was awarded an Executive Master of Business Administration with Distinction from QUT, where he gained knowledge in stakeholder engagement, financial management, personal development, and leadership.
Email: chriskelly7@hotmail.com
John Tumbridge
John has been involved in Football Club supporter groups for over 18 years both in the UK with Tottenham Hotspur and Australia.
He has a master’s degree in Sports Management and the Business of Football and has eight years of experience working in the Sports Travel and Event industry.
John has been a proud Brisbane Roar Den Member since 2015 and he looks forward to being part of the independent-minded group of people working towards a successful football club on and off the park.
Email: tumbridge@gmail.com
Carissa Matheson
Carissa believes as a woman, she can provide a unique perspective to the Advisory Council. Women are often underrepresented in sports leadership roles; therefore, she believes that her voice can help promote diversity and inclusivity within the club and externally within the Roar community.
She is passionate about improving the game day experience for both the men’s and women’s games and would like to see communications between the club and the fan base strengthened.
Carissa has supported people with disabilities and advocated for their needs, and she feels this is useful in collaborating with those on the Council to create a Roar community that is inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Email: carissamnm@gmail.com
Dan Smareglia
Dan is looking forward to understanding more about the club and wishes to assist in any way he can to achieve success. He and his family have treasured the good times as members and believe that true fans support the club during the difficult times too.
He owned his own business for 18 years and has worked in advertising, media and commercial property. But football is his lifelong passion.
John Murray
John has been a management accountant for 40 years, where he has helped organisations better understand their cost structures and make commercial decisions. He has been around football all his life, having played and coached, and has been attending Roar games since the first game in 2005.
He has a passion for helping educate people in money management and would like to bring his knowledge to assisting with strategies and providing ideas to the financial side of the club.
Email: jdmconsult@icloud.com
Stuart Warren
Stuart brings extensive knowledge and skills to help contribute to a financially stable business. He believes that being able to see different perspectives and working collaboratively with all stakeholders is key to achieving better outcomes.
Stuart’s passion for football is lifelong with fond memories of attending games with his dad, and now sharing that with his own kids. Stuart would like to focus on building a strong sense of community within the fan base to further grow the active supporters of the club.
Email: stuart.warren@morgans.com.au
Simon Boegheim
Simon is a Roar Foundation member and has an extensive football experience background that included experience in the recruitment of players and coaching staff, establishing club structures and procedures at Lions FC and more recently, at Centenary Stormers FC.
He has also been involved in a volunteering capacity with a variety of sports clubs and business groups, including at a national level.
Simon is also the convenor and chairperson of the Queensland Football History Association.
He is highly motivated to assist with improving the club to get it back to being one of the most successful A-league clubs in the country.
Email: simonboe2@bigpond.com
Ben van de Beld
Currently the Chief Legal and Operations Officer in a prominent global business, Ben combines a robust commercial and legal background with a broad understanding of various areas of law. His diverse experiences as a solicitor, barrister, and business leader make him uniquely equipped to handle challenges related to fan engagement, club policies, and other issues affecting the Brisbane Roar community.
Through joining the Advisory Council, Ben aims to utilize his professional skills and unwavering passion for the Roar to create actionable strategies that can positively impact the club and its fans.
Email: bvandebeld@gmail.com
Alex Accini
Alex is part of The Den leadership group and has been part of The Den for the past seven years. He has been an avid Brisbane Roar fan for 16 years, where he has attended home games and as many away games as he can get to.
He is involved with football at all levels from grassroots to semi-pro, working towards his C-license AFC coaching diploma.
Jeremy Scott
Jeremy is a Chartered Accountant working in public practice, who has been serving as the Treasurer of the Roar Supporters Federation (RSF) since late 2021.
He has been a Den member since 2014 and has volunteered with the RSF in various capacities since its establishment in 2017.
Email: treasurer@roarfans.com.au
Neil Ballment
Neil Ballment, the President of the Roar Supporters Federation is a retired Solicitor with 44 years of experience, both in Private Practice and as a Legal Counsel at CSIRO. He practised predominately in the areas of Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law, Governance, Compliance, and Workplace Health and Safety.
He has served as Chair of the Logan/Beaudesert District Health Council, the Board of Relationships Australia, and on three Private College Boards but since retirement, now serves on the Board of Grace College within the University of QLD.
Neil is a passionate Roar supporter and is a founder and current President of the Roar Supporters Federation Inc.
He is keen to expand and consolidate the productive and positive engagement between the BRFC, its owners, and its supporters and believes that supporters have a great capacity for making a constructive contribution to the club.
Email: neilballment48@gmail.com
Kerri-Anne Dove
Kerri-Anne used to be a more casual Brisbane Roar supporter but when she discovered the Brisbane Roar women’s team and started playing football herself, the support was taken to a whole new level.
She is a founding member of The Roar Corps and will be seen at all the women’s matches cheering in the stands.
Her interest in the Advisory Council is to continue to expand the fan base of the Roar without losing the sense of community among the fans in the club. She hopes to represent the supporters of the Women’s team and to help spread the love of the women’s game throughout the city.
Email: theroarcorps@roarfans.com.au
Majella Card
Majella enjoys going to Roar games, particularly the Women’s and would like to work on the fan culture to continue to build a community of female supporters.
She is a founding member of both the Roar Corp and Matilda’s Active Support Group, with a grand interest in football and following the Roar.
She admires the unique communities that sport can foster, after gaining a strong social sense through her work at the University of Queensland where she currently upholds the role of Finance Admin.
Email: theroarcorps@roarfans.com.au
