Potters secure top league award for their family feel...

TOKE City have been crowned EFL family excellence club of the season for 2024/25.

- Peter Smith

The Potters have received a gold award for their match day experience for families for a fourth year in a row - and this time, following visits by independent assessors to home matches, they have received the highest ranking of any EFL club.

A report commissioned by the EFL says: "Stoke City is a wonderful family club with an outstanding matchday experience. I am not exaggerating when I say that our experience was one of the best we have experienced in years of going to matches as a family.

"There wasn’t a single staff member that we spoke to who wasn't happy to engage or speak with us. I was convinced after the visit that Stoke is a special club with community and families at the core of everything they do."

Clubs are measured over a range of touchpoints including ticket purchase, accessibility, facilities and communication.

There was particular praise for welcoming club staff, stewards, red coat match day staff and those in the ticket office, club shop and in the concourses. The experience for first-time fans was described as 'above and beyond' as young supporters receive pitch-side access, a signed letter and notepad to commemorate their special day.