The 2026 edition for English Men’s football is now out! The algorithm is available via the Fan Engagement Hub, where you can find all previous year’s versions.
Place | Club | Division | Dialogue | Governance | Transparency | Overall | Change from 2024/2025 | Fan Engagement award? |
1 | Exeter City | League One | 70 | 80 | 80 | 230 | 0 | Gold |
2 | Lincoln City | League One | 80 | 65 | 80 | 225 | 0 | Gold |
3 | Swansea City | Championship | 80 | 65 | 65 | 210 | 5 | Silver |
4 | Norwich City | Championship | 80 | 45 | 80 | 205 | 0 | Silver |
5 | Cambridge United | League Two | 75 | 65 | 60 | 200 | 20 | Silver |
6 | AFC Wimbledon | League One | 65 | 80 | 55 | 200 | -5 | Silver |
7 | Carlisle United | National League Premier | 80 | 65 | 50 | 195 | -30 | Silver |
8 | Doncaster Rovers | League One | 80 | 50 | 60 | 190 | -15 | Silver |
9 | Bradford City | League One | 80 | 35 | 60 | 175 | 15 | Bronze |
10 | Brentford | Premier League | 80 | 65 | 20 | 165 | 15 | Bronze |
11 | Everton | Premier League | 70 | 35 | 60 | 165 | 0 | Bronze |
12 | Portsmouth | Championship | 75 | 45 | 40 | 160 | 0 | Bronze |
13 | Rochdale | National League Premier | 55 | 45 | 60 | 160 | 20 | Bronze |
14 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Premier League | 80 | 35 | 40 | 155 | -5 | Bronze |
15 | Southend United | National League Premier | 75 | 20 | 60 | 155 | 0 | Bronze |
16 | Chelsea | Premier League | 75 | 35 | 40 | 150 | 20 | Bronze |
17 | Grimsby Town | League Two | 65 | 65 | 20 | 150 | 5 | Bronze |
18 | Cheltenham Town | League Two | 65 | 50 | 35 | 150 | -5 | Bronze |
19 | Blackburn Rovers | Championship | 65 | 45 | 40 | 150 | -10 | Bronze |
20 | Huddersfield Town | League One | 80 | 35 | 30 | 145 | 0 | Bronze |
21 | Fulham | Premier League | 60 | 45 | 40 | 145 | 10 | Bronze |
22 | Bristol Rovers | League Two | 55 | 50 | 40 | 145 | -20 | Bronze |
23 | Walsall | League Two | 80 | 35 | 30 | 145 | -5 | Bronze |
24 | Plymouth Argyle | League One | 65 | 35 | 40 | 140 | 5 | |
25 | Accrington Stanley | League Two | 55 | 45 | 40 | 140 | 10 | |
26 | Leicester City | Championship | 80 | 35 | 20 | 135 | 0 | |
27 | Liverpool | Premier League | 70 | 45 | 20 | 135 | 0 | |
28 | Barrow | League Two | 65 | 50 | 20 | 135 | 20 | |
29 | Manchester United | Premier League | 70 | 35 | 25 | 130 | -10 | |
30 | Bristol City | Championship | 65 | 45 | 20 | 130 | -5 | |
31 | Preston North-End | Championship | 45 | 45 | 40 | 130 | 0 | |
32 | Nottingham Forest | Premier League | 70 | 45 | 10 | 125 | -5 | |
33 | West Bromwich Albion | Championship | 70 | 35 | 20 | 125 | 20 | |
34 | Cardiff City | League One | 70 | 35 | 20 | 125 | -15 | |
35 | Wycombe Wanderers | League One | 50 | 55 | 20 | 125 | 0 | |
36 | Newport County | League Two | 65 | 50 | 5 | 120 | 0 | |
37 | Millwall | Championship | 65 | 35 | 20 | 120 | 0 | |
38 | Swindon Town | League Two | 55 | 35 | 30 | 120 | 0 | |
39 | Sunderland | Premier League | 45 | 35 | 40 | 120 | 20 | |
40 | Ipswich Town | Championship | 45 | 35 | 40 | 120 | 15 | |
41 | Oxford United | Championship | 45 | 35 | 35 | 115 | 10 | |
42 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 40 | 35 | 40 | 115 | 25 | |
43 | Charlton Athletic | Championship | 40 | 35 | 40 | 115 | 20 | |
44 | Barnsley | League One | 65 | 35 | 10 | 110 | -25 | |
45 | Wigan Athletic | League One | 35 | 35 | 40 | 110 | 15 | |
46 | Queens Park Rangers | Championship | 35 | 35 | 40 | 110 | 20 | |
47 | Coventry City | Championship | 35 | 35 | 40 | 110 | 10 | |
48 | Milton Keynes Dons | League Two | 50 | 35 | 20 | 105 | 25 | |
49 | AFC Bournemouth | Premier League | 45 | 35 | 25 | 105 | -10 | |
50 | Harrogate Town | League Two | 40 | 35 | 30 | 105 | 20 | |
51 | Stoke City | Championship | 40 | 35 | 30 | 105 | 10 | |
52 | Luton Town | League One | 55 | 45 | 0 | 100 | 10 | |
53 | Leyton Orient | League One | 55 | 25 | 20 | 100 | 15 | |
54 | Birmingham City | Championship | 35 | 35 | 30 | 100 | 45 | |
55 | Oldham Athletic | League Two | 55 | 35 | 5 | 95 | 15 | |
56 | Watford | Championship | 40 | 35 | 20 | 95 | 25 | |
57 | Hull City | Championship | 40 | 35 | 20 | 95 | 20 | |
58 | West Ham United | Premier League | 40 | 35 | 20 | 95 | 0 | |
59 | Gillingham | League Two | 40 | 35 | 20 | 95 | -20 | |
60 | Southampton | Championship | 20 | 35 | 40 | 95 | 15 | |
61 | Stevenage | League One | 50 | 35 | 5 | 90 | -10 | |
62 | Bolton Wanderers | League One | 45 | 30 | 15 | 90 | -10 | |
63 | Derby County | Championship | 40 | 20 | 30 | 90 | -20 | |
64 | Crewe Alexandra | League Two | 35 | 50 | 5 | 90 | -5 | |
65 | Peterborough United | League One | 35 | 35 | 20 | 90 | 10 | |
66 | Arsenal | Premier League | 40 | 35 | 10 | 85 | 20 | |
67 | Rotherham United | League One | 35 | 35 | 15 | 85 | 50 | Merit |
68 | Newcastle United | Premier League | 30 | 35 | 20 | 85 | 25 | |
69 | Leeds United | Premier League | 30 | 35 | 20 | 85 | -20 | |
70 | Burton Albion | League One | 25 | 20 | 40 | 85 | 0 | |
71 | Reading | League One | 55 | 25 | 0 | 80 | -45 | |
72 | Hartlepool United | National League Premier | 40 | 20 | 20 | 80 | 60 | Merit |
73 | Middlesbrough | Championship | 35 | 25 | 20 | 80 | 5 | |
74 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 25 | 35 | 20 | 80 | -10 | |
75 | Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League | 15 | 25 | 40 | 80 | -15 | |
76 | Woking | National League Premier | 50 | 25 | 0 | 75 | -15 | |
77 | Stockport County | League One | 35 | 35 | 5 | 75 | 0 | |
78 | Boston United | National League Premier | 35 | 20 | 20 | 75 | 75 | Merit |
79 | Notts County | League Two | 25 | 35 | 15 | 75 | 0 | |
80 | Port Vale | League One | 25 | 20 | 30 | 75 | -10 | |
81 | Northampton Town | League One | 20 | 35 | 20 | 75 | -40 | |
82 | Forest Green Rovers | National League Premier | 40 | 20 | 10 | 70 | 5 | |
83 | Sheffield United | Championship | 25 | 35 | 10 | 70 | -10 | |
84 | Manchester City | Premier League | 25 | 25 | 20 | 70 | -10 | |
85 | Shrewsbury Town | League One | 25 | 15 | 30 | 70 | -50 | |
86 | Wrexham | Championship | 15 | 35 | 20 | 70 | 15 | |
87 | Crystal Palace | Premier League | 15 | 35 | 20 | 70 | 0 | |
88 | Burnley | Premier League | 15 | 35 | 20 | 70 | 0 | |
89 | Chesterfield | League Two | 40 | 10 | 15 | 65 | -5 | |
90 | York City | National League Premier | 35 | 30 | 0 | 65 | 0 | |
91 | Colchester United | League Two | 35 | 20 | 10 | 65 | 10 | |
92 | Mansfield Town | League One | 30 | 35 | 0 | 65 | -10 | |
93 | Crawley Town | League Two | 25 | 20 | 20 | 65 | 0 | |
94 | Fleetwood Town | League Two | 30 | 25 | 5 | 60 | -15 | |
95 | Sheffield Wednesday | Championship | 25 | 15 | 20 | 60 | -25 | |
96 | Sutton United | National League Premier | 20 | 35 | 0 | 55 | -45 | |
97 | Gateshead | National League Premier | 35 | 10 | 5 | 50 | 5 | |
98 | Morecambe | National League Premier | 35 | 0 | 15 | 50 | -70 | |
99 | Scunthorpe United* | National League Premier | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 50 | |
100 | Blackpool | League One | 15 | 25 | 10 | 50 | 20 | |
101 | Eastleigh | National League Premier | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 15 | |
102 | Salford City | League Two | 10 | 35 | 5 | 50 | -20 | |
103 | Tranmere Rovers | League Two | 10 | 35 | 0 | 45 | -65 | |
104 | Barnet | League Two | 15 | 20 | 0 | 35 | 15 | |
105 | Brackley Town* | National League Premier | 15 | 0 | 20 | 35 | 35 | |
106 | Bromley | League Two | 15 | 0 | 15 | 30 | -45 | |
107 | Yeovil Town | National League Premier | 5 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 0 | |
108 | Wealdstone | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
109 | Tamworth | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
110 | Solihull Moors | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
111 | Truro City* | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
112 | FC Halifax | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
113 | Braintree Town | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
114 | Altrincham | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
115 | Aldershot Town | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
116 | Boreham Wood* | National League Premier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
About the Fan Engagement Index
In November 2019, we published the first ever objective measurement for fan engagement in sport: the Fan Engagement Index.
Looking for the rugby league Fan Engagement Index?
Previous year’s tables for all versions are available via this link.
Covering English men’s football every season since 2019 (and since 2024/2025 including all 116 IFR regulated clubs – Premier League, EFL, National League Premier), the Fan Engagement Index awards up to 240 points to clubs overall based on the quality of their Fan Engagement. It comprises three categories: ‘Dialogue’ (the conversations and meetings clubs have with their fans and representatives), ‘Governance’ (what ‘underpins’ or ‘guarantees’ the dialogue), and ‘Transparency’ (the proceedings of meetings and fan engagement). Each section offers up to 80 points. Final figures correct as of the 31st of May of the end of the season concerned.
Crucially, all of the data we collect for the Fan Engagement Index are publicly available, via club, league and other websites and sources. It involves no surveying of fans or others. We do not contact clubs directly during the process, to as closely as possible mirror the journey of a fan attempting to find out the information themselves, and to ensure fairness to all clubs.
Since the second edition in football we have sent a copy of what has been collected for each club, and invite them to provide comment, further information, clarification or make any changes on what we’ve collected.
Read more about how we compile and score the English men’s football Fan Engagement Index (the algorithm – including the new Fan Engagement Awards from 2023/2024 season)
Previous year’s tables for all versions are available via this link.
Looking for the rugby league version?