Family focus for Football League
In the last decade or so, there has been a noticeable trend towards globalisation for the most successful Premier League teams. Inversely, Football League clubs’ interests remain firmly local.
This month sees the introduction of the Family Football Festival across the country. David Malkinson, the head of marketing at the Football League, explained to Total Football's Chris Smith exactly what is involved...
“The Family Football Festival is an initiative we are launching to bring more families into the grounds – a fairground atmosphere at a football match," he said.
“We want to show that we can offer a great experience for the whole family – not just a game of football, more of a day out because the experience around the match day is just as important as the match itself”.
Activities will include face painting, fancy dress, half-time musical and dance performances, coaching, and much more. This will be rolled out nationally across 46 clubs who will each opt for a specific home game to plan the events around.
'I could not have hoped for a better response'
Malkinson admitted to being pleasantly surprised at how well the scheme has been taken on by all involved.
He said: “I was hoping we could get 25 clubs to sign up, but we already have 46 which is fantastic – I could not have hoped for a better response”.
Malkinson believes that a strong family contingent in the crowd will bode well for any team, even if they make it to the Premiership and are forced to compete with the super-rich.
“Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of the best in terms of offering something to all the family.
“This is something they started in the Championship and continued in the Premiership, and now look at them - they are an established side in that division”.
The initiative comes despite the fact that the Championship is the fourth best attended league in the world ahead of Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1, with almost 10 million people attending the 552 games at an average of approximately 18,000 per game.
Dazzled and overloaded
It is however part of the Football League’s wider strategy of attracting younger supporters who may overlook the highs and lows of supporting a team like Bury, for example, having been both dazzled and overloaded with superstars like Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney down the road.
In times of such financial strain for football league clubs in which teams like Plymouth Argyle and Wrexham have had to fight tooth and nail to simply continue as a club, community is more important than ever.
By offering something back, Malkinson is hoping to aid the long-term futures of all Football League clubs.
“This scheme will run until December at which point, we will stop and analyse, but the plan is ultimately to extend this to every club in the Football League.”
To find your local fixture, win prizes and invite your friends to a game, visit www.facebook.com/familyfootball
List of participating clubs:
|
Home Club |
|
Opposition |
Match Date |
|
Barnsley |
vs |
Coventry City |
01 October 2011 |
|
Chesterfield |
vs |
Colchester United |
01 October 2011 |
|
Dagenham & Redbridge |
vs |
Crewe Alexandra |
01 October 2011 |
|
Reading |
vs |
Middlesbrough |
01 October 2011 |
|
Nottingham Forest |
vs |
Birmingham City |
02 October 2011 |
|
Cheltenham Town |
vs |
Dagenham & Redbridge |
08 October 2011 |
|
Colchester United |
vs |
Yeovil Town |
08 October 2011 |
|
Oldham Athletic |
vs |
Milton Keynes Dons |
08 October 2011 |
|
Rotherham United |
vs |
Burton Albion |
08 October 2011 |
|
Shrewsbury Town |
vs |
Barnet |
08 October 2011 |
|
Wycombe Wanderers |
vs |
Walsall |
08 October 2011 |
|
AFC Wimbledon |
vs |
Crewe Alexandra |
15 October 2011 |
|
Brentford |
vs |
Scunthorpe United |
15 October 2011 |
|
Bristol City |
vs |
Peterborough United |
15 October 2011 |
|
Burnley |
vs |
Reading |
15 October 2011 |
|
Tranmere Rovers |
vs |
Oldham Athletic |
15 October 2011 |
|
AFC Bournemouth |
vs |
Bury |
22 October 2011 |
|
Cardiff City |
vs |
Barnsley |
22 October 2011 |
|
Huddersfield Town |
vs |
Preston North End |
22 October 2011 |
|
Milton Keynes Dons |
vs |
Scunthorpe United |
22 October 2011 |
|
Oldham Athletic |
vs |
Wycombe Wanderers |
22 October 2011 |
|
Portsmouth |
vs |
Doncaster Rovers |
22 October 2011 |
|
Sheffield Wednesday |
vs |
Colchester United |
22 October 2011 |
|
Stevenage |
vs |
Yeovil Town |
22 October 2011 |
|
Burton Albion |
vs |
Bristol Rovers |
22 October 2011 |
|
Preston North End |
vs |
Oldham Athletic |
25 October 2011 |
|
Carlisle United |
vs |
Oldham Athletic |
29 October 2011 |
|
Crawley Town |
vs |
Accrington Stanley |
29 October 2011 |
|
Derby County |
vs |
Portsmouth |
29 October 2011 |
|
Doncaster Rovers |
vs |
Coventry City |
29 October 2011 |
|
Macclesfield Town |
vs |
Southend United |
29 October 2011 |
|
Scunthorpe United |
vs |
Tranmere Rovers |
29 October 2011 |
|
Sheffield United |
vs |
Exeter City |
29 October 2011 |
|
Watford |
vs |
Peterborough United |
29 October 2011 |
|
Yeovil Town |
vs |
Huddersfield Town |
29 October 2011 |
|
Coventry City |
vs |
Southampton |
05 November 2011 |
|
Hereford United |
vs |
Crawley Town |
05 November 2011 |
|
Ipswich Town |
vs |
Doncaster Rovers |
05 November 2011 |
|
Peterborough United |
vs |
Derby County |
05 November 2011 |
|
Plymouth Argyle |
vs |
Morecambe |
05 November 2011 |
|
Bristol Rovers |
vs |
Barnet |
19 November 2011 |
|
Middlesbrough |
vs |
Blackpool |
19 November 2011 |
|
Northampton Town |
vs |
Shrewsbury Town |
19 November 2011 |
|
Millwall |
vs |
Bristol City |
20 November 2011 |
|
Leicester City |
vs |
Crystal Palace |
20 November 2011 |
|
Crystal Palace |
vs |
Derby County |
03 December 2011 |
|
Blackpool |
vs |
Watford |
17 December 2011 |