We are again pleased to report that Carlisle United have once again been ranked second in English football when it comes to fan engagement, in the latest independent rankings by Think Fan Engagement.
Chairman Tom Piatak said: “We believe that our fans are at the heart of everything we do and their unwavering support is what drives us to succeed both on and off the pitch. Our overarching vision is to create a truly inclusive and interactive fan experience that fosters a strong sense of community and belonging among our supporters. I am confident that by working together with our fans, we can continue to build our already very strong fan engagement activities to not only meet their expectations, but exceed them.
Click HERE to see the full list. You will see that independent analysis and review in the latest Fan Engagement Index, it ranks the club second out of 92. We also ranked in second place last year.
The annual Fan Engagement Index is valuable in terms of raising standards across the game and putting what clubs do under the microscope. Critically, it is independent which allows fans to assess their own club and clubs to benchmark themselves each year. It also highlights the fantastic work that goes on at many clubs across the game.
For the wider game, it was highlighted in the Fan Led Review that Fan Engagement was an area that clubs must do far better on. That has flowed into the Football Governance bill which is moving towards law with a new Football Regulator. We are already seeing new regulations being brought into the EFL to drive improvements across the game, like the requirement for an annual Fan Engagement Plan. This means for all clubs, fan engagement will only increase in importance.
Chief executive Nigel Clibbens added: "We have consistently seen engagement with supporters and working with fans as hugely important for our club. It’s massively beneficial. In my view it makes the club better - it’s that simple. It’s the right thing to do. It’s very pleasing to be near the top of this table again, as we have been every year of the index. It shows the work we do to engage with our fans and the processes we have in place continue to improve, and are keeping up with best practice. To be recognised by an independent review for the work being carried out by so many people shows we continue to be on the right track. Most clubs are also raising the bar, so to remain at the forefront is something to be proud of, as it shows us to be still ‘up with the best’ in what we do, and in how we tailor our approach.
“There is no sense of complacency, and we are continuously looking to improve.
“I said last year under the previous ownership, we were highly ranked, but we still had our own challenges in certain areas to face up to. We accepted fans wanted more engagement from owners, and more from CUOSC too, not just engagement by management from within the club, but engagement from owners. CUOSC’s membership has grown hugely in the last year and its closer than ever to the club. Even before the change of ownership was complete, the sell-out CUOSC fan meeting gave a taste of a new approach.
“The new ownership has put in place “golden share” safeguards to protect the club and its commitment to being close to our fans. Fans can see the steps being taken to do that. For example, the Piatak’s will be at the next CUOSC fan meeting – that is a new development, that shows how owners and fans are coming together in a way not seen before in recent years."
SLO Simon Clarkson said: ”This independent ranking is something we should all be very proud of and reflects the depth of work across many differing areas of the club. Real fan engagement involves active listening and we have both the mechanisms and the individuals in place to keep on delivering improvements for our fans.”
CUOSC 1921 board director Matt Spooner said: "The significance of fan engagement is something that no football club should ever take for granted.
"It is more important now than ever that fans remain at the heart of their clubs. This formed a large part of our discussions with Castle Sports Group during the take-over process and agreements were reached that protect our fans’ right to a voice on key topics.
"Our position alongside the club is getting stronger and it is really pleasing to see the level of inclusion our Supporters’ Trust are getting. We’ve been able to further develop our communication chains and working relationships which helps so much with genuine and intentional fan engagement.
"Outside of CUOSC, real examples of club-to-fan engagement come as recently as the feedback many of us saw over topics such as CUTV and the Fan Zone. These were heavily discussed at CUSG meetings, were actively encouraged by the club and will help to shape the way they work moving forward. This is true fan engagement for the benefit of fans and the Club. Ranking highly as a result of this is an added but very welcome bonus, and Club staff thoroughly deserve recognition for this."
