Manchester United to appoint new Supporters Liaison Officer

Manchester United’s rebuild has never been limited to the pitch, as the Old Trafford side continue to reshape the departments that sit around Ruben Amorim’s first-team project.

With new leadership being established and the club modernising how it speaks to supporters, the next phase has increasingly become about clarity, consistency, and getting closer to the match-going fan base again.

That matters because fan communication is no longer a “nice to have” in the Premier League.

Supporter liaison, accessibility, structured dialogue and fan boards have become part of the expected standard across the division, and clubs who do it well tend to make fewer unforced errors when decisions land badly.

With the range of controversial changes made by the INEOS ownership effecting fans, such as changes to tickets, with season ticket holders being moved, new ticketing systems and more, the roles to bridge between the fans and club are vital.

Now, a new report suggests United are making a senior move in that space.

Henry Winter has taken to X to report that West Ham supporters are “understandably frustrated” at the expected departure of Cat Smith, described as a “highly regarded Supporter Liaison Officer”.

The expectation is that she is heading to Manchester United, taking on a senior communications role.

At West Ham, Smith has been listed by the club as Head of Supporter Services and Fan Engagement, appearing across official documents tied to fan engagement structures and supporter-facing operations.

West Ham’s 2025/26 Fan Engagement Plan places that role at the heart of the club’s Fan Advisory Board process, designed to formalise dialogue between senior staff and supporter representatives.

For United, the timing is notable. The club have been linked with turnover in key communications roles over the past year, while also advertising supporter-liaison hiring within their Communications department.

If Cat Smith does arrive, the immediate question is where she fits, whether that is corporate communications, supporter engagement, or a hybrid role designed to improve how the club handles sensitive supporter issues.

Either way, it would be another sign that the next version of Manchester United is being built off the pitch as well as on it.