Northampton Town awarded 'family excellence status' for the seventh season in succession by EFL

Northampton Town Football Club has been awarded 'family excellence status' for the seventh season in succession by the English Football League (EFL).

The recognition is for the club's continued commitment to attracting families and young fans and the engaging level of matchday experience the club provides.

EFL chief executive David Baldwin said: “We know nothing beats the joy of watching a live fixture and the EFL and its clubs look forward to welcoming the return of fans to stadia, when it is safe to do so.

"Up until the covid pandemic outbreak it is clear from the evidence gathered throughout the family excellence scheme, that young fans and families were experiencing a high standard of matchday experience across the league.

"It is testament to clubs’ hard work that the standard of experience offered to families continues to rise, and this will undoubtedly help to ensure a welcoming environment will be provided for all families, once we are able to return to stadia.”

The family excellence scheme sees each club assessed across a range of areas to understand what it would feel like to be a family on a first-time visit.

The programme encourages clubs to think differently about their interactions with family supporters and consider their specific needs of the family unit to attract and retain a new generation of supporters.

EFL clubs received mystery visits during the 2019/20 campaign prior to coronavirus outbreak with their feedback and reports again determining whether each respective club would achieve the status.

As all but the Championship was cancelled, the scheme recognised that family engagement has continued to thrive despite supporters being unable to attend live fixtures for the final part of the campaign.

At the PTS Academy Stadium, the club's popular Grange Mortgages family area continued to prove a big success, while the engagement levels of Clarence the mascot with young supporters was also noted.

Young supporters continue to enjoy free fruit in the Grange Mortgages family area as well as fun and games, half time entertainment, the In 'n' Autocentres Cup, and more.

Away from matchday, the club's extensive work in the community continues to grow with the focus in the last few months on supporting people through the Covid-19 pandemic, including phone calls and messages from the players, manager Keith Curle and his staff and the #KeepCalmandCobblerOn initiative, led by the community trust.

Mr Baldwin added: “It is fantastic to see the continued dedication of EFL clubs to provide an exceptional matchday experience for families when attending fixtures across the League.

“I would like to congratulate all those that have achieved Family Excellence status for the 2019/20 season setting a consistently high standard for family engagement."