BREAKING NEWS: According to the BBC story this evening, Stoke City has formally announced the departure of their most experienced captain, Josh Laurent, to Wrexham….

News from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City retain EFL award for third consecutive season

Stoke City have been singled out for the “human touch… deeply embedded into the culture” that has seen the club named one of the best in class in the EFL for families on match days.

Stoke have been ranked as one of the top five in the Championship, League One and League Two for family experience. It is a third year on the spin they have been presented with a gold award, one of only 13 to get the honour this time around.

It comes after an independent assessment of categories ranging from buying tickets to activities, facilities and communications. The club is now in the process of building a new fan zone to step up their offer again.

READ MORE: All the latest Stoke City transfer news and gossip

The family area concourse, which provides several free of charge activities for young supporters, including mini golf and football, face painting, entertainment and access to games’ consoles, was ranked as the in the EFL

Simon King, chief operating officer, said: “We are proud to attain a gold award for family excellence for the third season in a row – an achievement testament to the dedication of our people to providing an amazing fan experience.

“We are continuously seeking to enhance match days for all Stoke City supporters and we know there are things we can do to improve. Providing an ever more engaging, welcoming and accessible environment for families is fundamental to that. Last season, we were able to implement changes based on supporter suggestions received via our post-match surveys and there’s going to be even further opportunities for us to learn from the feedback of our fans moving forward.

“Regular two-way communication is crucial and is going to gain significantly increased prominence moving forward following the publishing of our Fan Engagement Plan and the rollout of regular fan assemblies.

“With the introduction of a new Fan Zone and our atmosphere enhancing plans, which include an additional family friendly seating area, we can look forward with excitement at the opportunities we have to increasingly make a trip to the bet365 Stadium a full day out with family and friends.”

Stoke were praised in this year’s report for the “dedication and knowledge” of staff across ticket office, club shop, community, catering and safety departments.