20 Oct 2009'Undercover families' to attend Scottish football stadiums

Football Leagues/ Association and Governance | Football Technology and Stadia

Scottish Premier League (SPL) chief executive Neil Doncaster is aiming to boost attendances with a new scheme known as Family Champions.

The initiative will see selected families anonymously attend matches at each of the 12 stadiums in the top tier of Scottish football and report back on the quality of their experience.

Doncaster was successful in boosting ticket sales during his previous role as chief executive of Norwich City and is confident that he can repeat the trick north of the border, where attendances are declining.

He told BBC Scotland: "Anything we can do to drive more families in and bring more money into our clubs should be welcomed."

Doncaster, who was appointed chief executive of the SPL in July after nearly 12 years at Carrow Road, said that his undercover agents will be testing "the quality of the family experience" at Scotland's top football grounds.

In a separate interview with the Daily Record this week, he pointed out that the SPL remains the best supported league in western Europe on a "per capita basis".

Written by Terry Mitchell

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