United Wins Club Of The Year

Manchester United has been named 'Club of the Year' in the annual VisitFootball customer service awards, as well as picking up a 'Warmest Welcome' accolade.

The awards recognise off-field improvements in the supporter experience at the 20 Barclays Premier League clubs, monitored at five independent visit assessments throughout the season.

'Club of the Year' focuses on the overall fan experience delivered and the judges cited United’s ticket line call-back service at busy times, prominent use of 'here to help' staff on matchdays and effective queue management to enable a speedier service for fans.

'Warmest Welcome' recognises that 'welcome' isn't one single element but a series of interactions including announcements, signage, people and a sense of place. The judges felt United delivered on all these aspects and commended the club’s particular attention towards first-time visitors to Old Trafford.

United's group managing director Richard Arnold said: "I'm delighted to have won these two awards. Across the season, we welcome over 2 million fans to Old Trafford, so to receive recognition for the warmest welcome and the best overall experience is a tremendous achievement. The challenge now is to continue this great work and make sure everyone that visits Old Trafford has a first-class day.”

In assessing each of the 20 clubs in English football’s top flight, independent professionals considered the following eight areas of the supporter journey:

• Pre-arrival – telephone and email enquiries, website content and ticket purchasing.
• Arrival – signage, approach to stadium, parking, stadium appearance.
• Pre-match experience – stadium layout, stewarding, pre-match entertainment, programme content.
• Match experience – quality of seating, information, stewarding, atmosphere, half-time entertainment.
• Catering – appearance, food quality, service, food range, cleanliness.
• Toilets – layout and numbers, maintenance, fixtures and fittings, ventilation, cleanliness.
• Post-match – ease of exit, signage, crowd control.
• Club shop – layout, range of merchandise, presentation, cleanliness.