We are starting a long term project working with both Dale fans and the Club to improve the matchday experience for all supporters, whether they be home or away supporters, first time visitors or those attending for the thousandth time. We want to put an emphasis on improving things for families with a view to increasing the number of families who attend.
This follows a report to the Club by the EFL’s Family Excellence Scheme which rated the Club as being 7/10. It was awarded Family Excellence status in 2021-22 but it is our intention to build on that and improve things wherever we can through feedback offered by those that matter.
The EFL’s Family Excellence Scheme launched during the 2006/07 season to reward Clubs in their efforts to deliver an outstanding match-day family experience.
The scheme revolves around ‘mystery fan’ visits made to all EFL Clubs each season, with assessors and family groups reporting back on their experiences across a range of touchpoints.
The assessments and the feedback they produce help foster a commitment to continuous improvement, and the scheme has seen Clubs set benchmark standards in providing such things as family fun zones, family-oriented concourse entertainment, matchday activity schedules, creative catering options, interaction with Club mascots, players and enthusiastic family-friendly Club staff.
These visits, and the positive changes made as a result, go towards determining whether Clubs are awarded Family Excellence status each season, a desirable and important endorsement to further promote the matchday experiences they offer to new and existing families and their wider fanbases.
We are provisionally looking at hosting an initial meeting before the Northampton game aimed at Dale supporting families (those with junior supporters amongst that family), with an online survey to follow. If you are interested in these, please complete the details below:
We will be looking at other improvements that aren’t specifically aimed at families later in the year.