Rotherham United have won the Family Excellence award 2016...
Rotherham United are delighted to have been awarded ‘The Football League Family Excellence Award’ for the 2015/16 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.
A total of 44 clubs from across all three divisions of The Football League have been given the Award for 2016, with a significant increase in the benchmark standard being applied by the judging panel. More than ever this year, Football League clubs are providing families with engaging family areas and offering innovative matchday entertainment that delivers a money can’t buy experience for young fans.
With an increase in the number of juniors and families now attending matches around the country this is both testament to clubs’ work to attract them, and an indication of the challenge and importance of retaining them for generations to come.
In achieving the award Rotherham United has been recognised as offering superb entertainment for families at AESSEAL New York Stadium throughout the 2015/16 season, engaging with young fans and families through such initiatives as the ‘Kids for a Quid’ ticketing scheme, Random Act of Kindness and a number of Junior Millers competitions to win matchday mascot package experiences.
Rotherham United are proud to have achieved the Family Excellence Award this season, and Chief Operating Officer Paul Douglas was keen to stress the importance of ensuring the club engages with the next generation of supporters.
“We are delighted to have been presented with this award in recognition of our continued hard work to create an environment in which everyone can enjoy our football club,” he enthused.
“We have worked hard to try and make the AESSEAL New York Stadium more appealing to fans and this award shows the great progress we have made in this area over the last few years.
“It is vitally important that we create a friendly atmosphere to encourage the next wave of Rotherham United fans and I have been delighted the response from the public to the various initiatives we have run to ensure this.”
In announcing the successful clubs, Football League Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “The Football League Family Excellence Award continues to provide Clubs with a standard to aspire to. The objective of the Award is to recognise those Clubs who have successfully attracted more families and young fans to matches.
“Innovation is at the heart of Clubs’ success and our partnership with both Channel 5 & Nickelodeon (Nick Kicks) is part of our central contribution in supporting Clubs’ work in this important area by increasing the profile of our games among the next generation of fans.”
6 clubs have secured the Award in every year they have been eligible to receive it - Doncaster Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Ipswich Town and Milton Keynes Dons, Cardiff City and Reading. Wigan Athletic has been awarded the accolade for the first time.
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 2015/16 season.
For more about The Football League visit www.football-league.co.uk.