Crawley Town are among a total of 56 EFL Clubs who have achieved Family Excellence status for 2017-18, 10 of which have been crowned as ‘Gold Award’ winners for their exemplary work in engaging families on match days.
The record breaking number, up from 53 Clubs in 2016/17, recognises continuous improvement and best practice in family engagement across the leagues and supports Clubs’ efforts to attract and retain young fans of the future.
Amongst the 56 Clubs, three have achieved the Family Excellence accolade for the first time – Forest Green Rovers, Grimsby Town and Sunderland – whilst the ‘Gold Award’ given to ten Clubs highlights an elite number of Clubs that offer an exceptional family match day experience.
EFL Clubs received two ‘mystery family’ visits throughout the season, with their feedback and reports determining whether each respective Club would achieve ‘Family Excellence’ status. Seven Clubs have achieved the honour every year they have been eligible, three of them in every year of the Family Excellence process.
During two visits to the Checkatrade Stadium by families, the welcoming atmosphere in Redz Bar and around the stadium, competitive pricing for young supporters, Devils' Den and mascot Reggie the Red were all highlighted as areas where the Club encouraged families to attend and enjoy matchday at Crawley Town.
Operations Director Kelly Derham said: "We are delighted to win the Family Excellence Award again. A lot of hard work by our very small but dedicated backroom team has gone into this achievement and I would like to thank them for their efforts.
"I want Crawley Town to be a place where families feel save and valued but I also recognise there is more work we can do to make things even better, not just for families but all visitors and we will be working on various initiatives during the summer. These include opening the shop in the south-east corner again, relaunching Junior Reds and offering better pre-match entertainment."
EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “It is hugely encouraging to see the continuous development and improvement made by EFL Clubs in offering engaging match day experiences for families. For over a decade the EFL’s Family Excellence Scheme has helped to produce positive and impactful change across the leagues, helping to drive a real focus on match day entertainment, facilities and the overall experience on offer for families, and ultimately to assist in growing attendances.
“Its impact continues to be notable with several Clubs gaining strong industry-wide reputations for offering true family value and a consistently high level of service and innovation.
“The EFL will continue to work with Clubs to help drive change and support the continued effort to attract and retain future generations of supporters. Congratulations to the Clubs that have achieved Family Excellence status and to those that have been awarded Gold status in its inaugural year.”
A full list of EFL Clubs to receive the Family Excellence & Gold status can be found below:
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Gold Award Winners; Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Derby County, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Blackburn Rovers, Doncaster Rovers, Luton Town.
