EFL Home To England’s Best Run Football Clubs

The EFL is home to the best run clubs in England according to the results of the Fair Game Index, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive state-of-play analysis of football in the country.  

 
The Fair Game Index rates each club on four criteria – financial sustainability, good governance, equality standards and fan engagement – all measures set to come under the remit of football’s new Independent Regulator in time for the 2024/25 season.  
 

In the White Paper, A sustainable future – reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, along with pledging to commit to a new Independent Regulator for English Football, the Government also stated that it will introduce a State of Play Survey for Football.

Fair Game partnered with world-renowned independent experts and organisations in football to create that survey. 

The Index focuses on the four key criteria, using over 80 different touchpoints, to create the most comprehensive analysis of the top 92 clubs in the English pyramid ever produced.

AFC Wimbledon emerge as England’s best run club with an overall score of 73.58 out of 100.
 

The highest ranking Premier League side is Brentford, who finished 10th with a score of 67.55. Overall the Premier League, boosted by its large revenues, has an average score of 50.0.

The Championship scores an average of 38.1, whilst EFL League One scored on average 47.8, and League Two 40.2.

Plymouth top the financial sustainability scores, with a maximum rating of 40 out of 40, followed by Forest Green Rovers (37.5) and Portsmouth (37.5).

Lincoln City finish first on equality standards, scoring 6.54 out of 10. Huddersfield Town are second with 6.50 and Southampton third with 6.25.

On good governance, Cambridge United finish first with 20.88 out of 30, followed by Lincoln City 20.55 and Carlisle United 20.54.

Exeter City lead the way on fan engagement with an impressive score of 17.35 (out of 20), followed by AFC Wimbledon on 15.50 and Carlisle United on 15.05.