Family Excellence Award winners are announced
AFC Wimbledon has once again earned Football League recognition for the match day experience it provides for families.
The Football League today announced its Family Excellence Award winners for 2014/15 with clubs having to meet a certain standard after being visited by families during the season.
Created in 2007, the award recognises the outstanding experience provided by clubs for young fans and families as part of a scheme that won the Gold Award at the European Professional Football Leagues’ Best Practice Awards.
The picture above shows Bayo Akinfenwa receiving the Junior Dons Player of the Year award before the last game of the season against Cheltenham Town.
A total of 42 clubs from across all three divisions of The Football League achieved the award for 2015, with a significant increase in the benchmark standard being applied by the judging panel.
The Football League concluded that more clubs are providing families with engaging and innovative match day entertainment, delivering a money-can’t-buy experience for young fans. Similarly, many clubs are setting benchmark standards by introducing innovative new ways to interact with families before, during and after match days.
With an increase in the number of families now attending matches around the country, junior attendance in The Football League in the last six seasons has risen by 31 per cent compared with a 6 per cent increase in overall attendance during the same period. This is a tribute to clubs’ work to attract them, and an indication of the challenge and importance of retaining them for generations to come.
Football League Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said: “The Football League Family Excellence Award gives clubs a standard to aspire to when planning their efforts to attract more families and young fans to their matches.
“It is hugely encouraging to see so many clubs receiving the accolade, demonstrating The Football League’s ongoing commitment to securing the next generation of fans.”
The award recipients are decided by an independent assessment using real families that has been commissioned by The Football League, at all 72 League clubs, during the 2014/15 season.
Clubs receiving the Family Excellence Award in 2015 are as follows:
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Wimbledon
Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bristol City
Burton Albion
Cardiff City
Carlisle United
Cheltenham Town
Colchester United
Crewe Alexandra
Dagenham and Redbridge
Derby County
Doncaster Rovers
Fleetwood Town
Fulham
Huddersfield Town
Ipswich Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Milton Keynes
Morecambe
Northampton Town
Notts County
Peterborough United
Plymouth Argyle
Preston North End
Reading
Rochdale
Scunthorpe United
Sheffield Wednesday
Shrewsbury Town
Southend United
Stevenage United
Tranmere Rovers
Watford
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers
York City