Bradford City AFC Retains EFL Gold Award for Family Excellence for 2025/26 Season

Bradford City AFC has exciting news for families in the area. The club has successfully retained its EFL Gold Award for Family Excellence for the upcoming 2025/26 season. This accolade is significant as it recognises the outstanding matchday experience the club provides for families, making it a welcoming place for supporters of all ages.

EFL Family Excellence Scheme

The EFL’s Family Excellence Scheme is an initiative that evaluates how well clubs cater to families during matchdays. Each season, assessors visit clubs twice to review various aspects of the family experience. This includes everything from how easy it is to buy tickets to the general atmosphere in the stadium. Key areas that the assessors focus on include:

• Quality of matchday activities and entertainment

• Accessibility and facilities within the stadium

• Options for food and drinks

• How well the club communicates with families online

Bradford City scored highly in these areas, finishing ninth out of the 24 teams in Sky Bet League One and 19th across the entire EFL. This is a commendable achievement that highlights the club's commitment to creating a family-friendly environment.

Improving the Matchday Experience

The club has made several enhancements to its offerings for families at matchdays. In addition to vibrant murals in the Morrisons Family Stand, the club has introduced engaging activities like 'Billy’s Coop' at the E-Stadium, where families can enjoy fun experiences together. One of the new initiatives is 'Billy’s Swap Shop', which allows young fans to trade EFL Panini Stickers. This encourages interaction among children and adds an extra layer of fun to their visit. First-time visitors are also greeted with special offerings to ensure they feel welcomed and valued right from the start. Bradford City’s fan engagement officer, Liam Mould, expressed his delight at retaining the gold status: “I am thrilled how everyone at the club has all worked together to retain gold status in the EFL’s Family Excellence scheme at the first time of asking.” His excitement reflects the hard work put in by everyone at the club to create a unique and enjoyable experience for families at the University of Bradford Stadium.

Positive Feedback and Continuous Improvement

The club’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. During the assessments, Bradford City received a score of 8 out of 10 on the first visit (for the match against Wimbledon) and improved to 9 out of 10 on the second visit (against Peterborough). This indicates a positive trend in the matchday experience, with an overall average score of 8.7 for the year. The feedback from families who attend matches is vital for the club’s ongoing development. Mould noted that the aim is to ensure new families walk through the turnstiles for every matchday and leave with smiles on their faces. This commitment to improvement is crucial for maintaining the gold status and ensuring that Valley Parade becomes a memorable place for supporters.

Support from the EFL

Trevor Birch, the chief executive officer of the EFL, also praised the clubs involved in the Family Excellence Scheme. He stated, “We are incredibly proud to see clubs excelling in the EFL’s Family Excellence Scheme this season. Their success reflects their dedication to creating welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable matchday experiences for families across the country.” Birch's comments highlight the importance of creating an engaging atmosphere for the next generation of fans and building lifelong connections with supporters. The initiatives at Bradford City AFC exemplify how clubs can create a family-friendly environment that encourages attendance and participation. As the new season approaches, families in Bradford and beyond can look forward to an enjoyable matchday experience filled with fun activities and a warm welcome. The efforts made by the club not only aim to entertain but also to foster a strong sense of community among fans, making every visit a special occasion.