Press Release
14/08/2026
Fan Engagement Index 2026: too many football clubs still ‘box ticking’
- Exeter City pushed close by Lincoln City, but win after overcoming turbulent year
- Record 26 clubs win awards: Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford, Chelsea, Everton & Fulham from the Premier League
- In the National League Premier, Southend United, Rochdale highest placed. Hartlepool & Boston Utd achieve Merit, but nine NLP clubs still score zero
- But fan engagement still a ‘box ticking’ exercise for too many clubs, with key staff & fans often frozen out
Despite more focus on fan engagement in football, its impact on decision making at clubs is still patchy, says Kevin Rye from Think Fan Engagement (TFE), as they publish the results of the Fan Engagement Index 2026.
Covering the 2025/2026 season, the overall trend is promising with 26 clubs receiving a Gold, SIlver, Bronze or Merit award this year, a rise of four from last year. However, there are clear indications that improved structure is not translating into better decisions by clubs often enough.
Kevin Rye from Think Fan Engagement said:
“The Independent Football Regulator is beginning to bite, and an increasing number of clubs in the Premier League, EFL and National League Premier have won awards, so well done to all of those. However, it is clear that ‘box ticking’ is still too real at many clubs. We all know of cases where a poor decision can be traced back to a failure to consult fans or even key staff properly – or even at all. I know of plenty of cases where Fan Advisory Boards, supporters’ trusts and staff have either been shut out of obviously key decisions, or told that they simply have to accept them. This is unacceptable. It is also self-defeating, as decisions often have to be reversed or changed, frequently causing embarrassment and more work for everyone.”
“Football has changed, and clubs must realise that it is simply not good enough to just consult and engage but still make the decision you want. Clubs must now change not just how they make those decisions, but in many cases, the actual decisions themselves. But this is as an opportunity, as a number of the best performing clubs in the Fan Engagement Index know: clubs have access to experience and knowledge from fans that can help to spot problems before they occur. Equally, officials and owners in particular should use their talented and knowledgeable fan engagement staff who are very often experts in their field: they know how fans think, know what will work and what won’t. Our advice is simple: use it!”
There are also concerns that as football moves towards full regulation by the IFR, many National League Premier clubs are clearly struggling to adapt, even though this is masked by several of their clubs winning bronze & merit awards, including playoff winners Rochdale & Southend. Boston United and Hartlepool both won merit awards for increases of 50 points or more compared to the previous season.
“Despite some obvious bright spots, most National League Premier clubs need to seriously up their game. There is a lack of evidence of meaningful fan engagement from too many of their member clubs at the moment, and as regulation bites they will have to change. Although I suspect that this is more a resource issue, rather than a lack of willingness to engage, this will not work as an excuse in the long-term, and we encourage the National League and its member clubs to work on this as a matter of importance.”
As the Fan Engagement Index continues to track the work of clubs in this critical area, it is also important to keep encouraging them, their staff & fan representatives, and supporting all clubs to improve. Kevin added:
“It is now up to clubs themselves, the leagues & IFR to focus on ensuring that fan engagement is not just a box ticking exercise, and that it is a meaningful and effective part of the decision making process and governance of all clubs.”
Go to https://fanengagement.net/fan-engagement-index-english-football for the full results.