Stenhousemuir ranked among best-run community clubs in UK-wide Fair Game Index

By Ben Kearney
Published 28th Aug 2024, 13:57 BST
Stenhousemuir FC and the Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation recently held a community day at Ochilview – with the club’s first team players putting on skills stations and fun games for the attendees (Photo: Michael Gillen)Stenhousemuir FC and the Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation recently held a community day at Ochilview – with the club’s first team players putting on skills stations and fun games for the attendees (Photo: Michael Gillen)
Stenhousemuir FC and the Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation recently held a community day at Ochilview – with the club’s first team players putting on skills stations and fun games for the attendees (Photo: Michael Gillen)
Stenhousemuir have been named as one the UK’s top community-focused clubs, according to the Fair Game Index 2024.

The football campaign group have put the Warriors at the top-end of their list for fan and community engagement after a comprehensive study across the whole of Scottish and English football.

The League One side scored 8.3 out of 10 in the club-by-club Fair Play Index 2024, with Premiership Hibs sharing that best score across the 42 SPFL clubs. Only a couple of lower league English sides scored higher.

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“Football clubs are nothing without fans, and we believe that engaging with the community is key to the long-term sustainability of all football clubs.” Blair Cremin, head of the Stenhousemuir FC Community Foundation said.

“This exceptional result is a reflection of our dedication to our community, where we aspire every day to make a positive impact on every household.”

The Ochilview club’s foundation was founded in 2021 and has positively impacted thousands of families and youngsters across the Falkirk area by running community days, Andy’s Man Club sessions and football events encouraging participation from a wide range of age groups - the foundation aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness, while improving mental wellbeing.

"We will continue to work hard when it comes to community engagement and are committed to using football as a force for good,” Cremin added.

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The index also looks at financial sustainability, good governance and equality/ethical standards using specific touchpoints that each club is ranked on.

Stenhousemuir finished 17th overall for Scotland with a final index score of 34.9 out of 100. Elsewhere, Falkirk were 23rd with a final index score of 30.2 out of 100. The Bairns’ fan and community engagement score was 6.3 out of 10.

Niall Couper, chief executive officer of Fair Game, said: “To deliver real and meaningful change we need to understand the problems. We have designed the Fair Game Index to do exactly that and help reshape the game we love.

“It is the most comprehensive analysis yet of what it means to be a well-run club.”