The Scottish Premier League has announced the launch of the ‘SPL Family Champions’ initiative, aimed at increasing the number of families attending Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches.

With the help of Mark Bradley Projects (MBP), leading customer services consultants, the SPL have recruited a number of real families who will visit all SPL clubs this season undercover and will report on every element of the overall experience.

This will include the initial enquiry and booking the tickets, the journey to the match, the club shop, refreshments, stewards and other club personnel, the match itself and the extent to which the family is engaged by the experience.

Clubs will receive detailed reports on how they performed, identifying areas which can be improved on. Then at the Clydesdale Bank Premier League end of season awards ceremony, the club who performs the best throughout the season will be announced as ‘SPL Family Champions’.

The SPL will publish a guide highlighting some of the best practice from across the league. Finally, a conference will be organised for the clubs to review the results of the scheme, prioritise action and create a commitment to change.

Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive of the SPL, said: "I am committed to making the SPL as attractive to fans as possible. This is the first step in that process and is a proven success model. I have seen first hand from my time at Norwich City the positive impact this type of initiative can have. There, we managed to increase the number of season ticket holders from 6,600 to 20,000 despite very mixed results on the field."

Mark Bradley said: "The beauty of this initiative is that it will allow the clubs to see things through their existing and potential fans’ eyes and use this picture as a catalyst for change. The added element of rivalry in the scheme will appeal to the clubs’ natural competitive tendencies and will motivate everyone to deliver the best family experience possible."

By cbfootball.co.uk   Last updated: 21 October 2009