The results are now in for the annual Bairns Survey, which is conducted by Falkirk FC and the Falkirk Supporters Society.
Falkirk Football Club and the Falkirk Supporters Society would like to thank the 1,300 supporters who took the time to complete this year’s Bairns Survey. As a fan-owned club, supporter feedback is an essential part of how we operate. The survey provides an important opportunity to understand what supporters believe we are doing well, where improvements are needed, and how we can continue moving forward together.
With this in mind, the increase in participation from 1,052 respondents last year to 1,300 this year is a massive success in itself. It reflects the passion and commitment of our supporter base, demonstrating that Falkirk supporters care deeply about the future direction of their club.
The full survey report, prepared by The Falkirk Supporters Society can be found HERE.
A Club Moving in the Right Direction
The 2025/26 survey paints a clear picture of a supporter base that is positive about the club’s direction and confident in its future.
Among the most encouraging findings was that 97% of supporters are optimistic about the future of the club, up from 95% last year. Confidence in the club’s leadership has also continued to rise, with 96% expressing confidence in the leadership of the club, compared to 93% in the previous survey.
Supporters also expressed strong confidence in the club’s wider strategy and long-term planning:
- 91% believe the club has a good strategy for meeting its objectives, up from 85%.
- 94% believe the club is forward-thinking and progressive, up from 89%.
- 96% agree the club has clear objectives and goals.
Fan Ownership Making a Difference
One of the strongest themes throughout this year’s survey is the growing belief among supporters that they are genuinely influencing the future of the club, which is crucial to making a success of fan ownership.
84% of supporters believe fans have a strong influence on how the club is operated, a substantial increase from 75% last year and a dramatic rise from just 42% three years ago.
Similarly:
- 95% believe the club has a strong orientation towards supporters, up from 94%.
- 89% believe the club listens to and understands supporters’ needs.
- 88% believe the club recognises and values their support, up from 86%.
These results are a powerful endorsement of the progress made through fan ownership and the partnership between supporters, the Falkirk Supporters Society, the Board and club staff.
While we never take these figures for granted, they demonstrate that supporters increasingly feel their voice matters and that their views help shape decisions across the club.
Matchday Experience Continues to Improve
The survey also highlights the continued strength of the matchday experience at The Falkirk Stadium.
95% of supporters agree that Falkirk FC offers a good matchday experience, continuing an upward trend and improving again from last year’s already impressive 93%.
We were particularly encouraged by the positive reception given to the introduction of the YES Hire Fanzone. As a brand-new addition to the matchday experience, the feedback received suggests supporters have embraced the concept and see it as a valuable enhancement.
The club is committed to building on that positive start, with additional investment into the Fanzone already underway to improve access, flooring, heat retention and seating. Our aim is to continue developing the facility and the range of activities available so that it becomes an even bigger part of the matchday experience for supporters as well as hosting other events such as our recent World Cup Fanzone and upcoming Darts event.
Listening and Improving
While there is much to celebrate in this year’s findings, the survey also highlighted areas where supporters expect further progress.
Stadium Access and Parking
The survey clearly identified stadium access and parking as the area supporters most want to see improved. We fully understand why this featured so prominently in the results and recognise the frustrations that many supporters have experienced when travelling to and from the stadium.
This is not a new finding, and since the survey was conducted we have already made a number of significant operational changes ahead of this season.
For the 2026/27 season, DH Events have been appointed to oversee and manage the stadium car parks on matchdays, representing a significant change from the arrangements that were in place during the period covered by the survey.
The new operation was first implemented for the St Mirren fixture, with the feedback received following that match being largely positive. As with any new arrangement, we will continue to work closely with DH Events, monitor supporter feedback and make adjustments where these can further improve the matchday experience.
With parking within the stadium footprint now restricted to home permit holders, the objective is to create a more controlled and consistent operation. The introduction of two points of entry and exit should also improve vehicle movement and, in particular, help ease congestion when supporters leave the stadium after matches.
The wider challenge of access to and from the stadium is more complex due to the significant roadworks currently taking place around the site.
Until the final road layout is complete, there remains an element of uncertainty around what the permanent access arrangements will ultimately look like. As a result, the club is by necessity operating within the temporary traffic management arrangements associated with the ongoing infrastructure works being delivered by Balfour Beatty. This limits the extent to which permanent solutions can be introduced at present.
There has, however, already been progress in other areas. A new pedestrian access route is now open on matchdays, providing supporters with an additional option when travelling to and from the stadium on foot and helping improve overall accessibility.
While we cannot resolve every aspect of this issue immediately, changes are already being implemented in the areas within the club’s control. We will continue to assess their effectiveness throughout the season, work collaboratively with Falkirk Council and our partners during the ongoing roadworks and undertake a full review of vehicle and pedestrian access arrangements once the final road infrastructure is in place.
We would like to thank supporters for both their feedback and their patience as these improvements, along with the wider infrastructure works surrounding the stadium, continue to progress.
Ticketing
Ticketing satisfaction saw a noticeable reduction compared to previous years, with feedback indicating that away ticket allocation processes were a significant factor.
We fully understand that away ticket ballots can be frustrating, particularly when demand far exceeds the number of tickets available. Over 1,300 Season Ticket Holders applied for tickets for our first visit to Tynecastle last season, most for two tickets, with an allocation of under 600 available. The good news is that with demand falling for visits to Celtic and expected to fall for the trip to Rangers, Tynecastle remains the only problematic away venue for ticket allocation.
While we appreciate that our current process is far from perfect, we believe that ballots remain the fairest available method of allocating tickets for the most oversubscribed fixtures.
Our supporter services team works hard during each ballot process to verify that all applicants are Season Ticket Holders, as well as ensuring that no supporter can be successful in a specific ballot more than once. Following feedback during the 2025/26 season, we also introduced enhanced communications and prioritised applications for supporters who were unsuccessful in the previous ballot.
That said, improving the supporter experience remains a priority. We will shortly begin a tender process for our future ticketing partner as our contract with Total Tickets ends in the summer, and supporter feedback will play an important role in shaping the requirements of that process.
Hospitality
The survey identified a modest decline in satisfaction levels around hospitality.
Since the survey was conducted, the club has implemented an important change by appointing Tatties and Tipples as our new food provider. The club was unable to retain the Council’s services due to a large increase in the costs associated with the catering provision. If the club accepted the increased charges, it would not have been possible to deliver an affordable product to our fans and sponsors. The club therefore had to review the full hospitality operation, identify a new catering provider, to negotiate and agree revised arrangements covering food, staffing, bars, cleaning, furniture and the wider match day service provision.
Encouragingly, early feedback from hospitality guests this season has produced some of the strongest ratings we have received for food quality. The St. Mirren fixture specifically achieved the highest ever received feedback for both food quality and overall experience. While these early signs are positive, we remain committed to monitoring performance and ensuring standards continue to improve throughout the season.
Falkirk TV
Falkirk TV remains an area where satisfaction levels continue to present a challenge. While the headline results show lower overall satisfaction levels than we would like, a deeper look at the data reveals a significantly more positive picture among those who actively subscribe to and use the service. This suggests that views on Falkirk TV may be shaped by factors beyond the direct subscriber experience.
Nonetheless, we recognise that there remains work to do in improving the quality and value of the service. During the 2025/26 season, we invested in access to the QTV World Feed, which provides us with multiple angles and replays in real time. We also introduced a Falkirk TV WhatsApp channel for subscribers to enhance communication from our Falkirk TV team on matchdays.
Falkirk TV remains under continual review as we look to improve the service and bring it up to the standards that are expected.
Supporting the Falkirk Supporters Society
The survey also highlighted an exciting opportunity for the Falkirk Supporters Society.
Among supporters who are not currently members, 24% indicated they intend to sign up. We would strongly encourage anyone considering membership to take that next step.
Every membership helps strengthen the supporter voice, contributes towards the long-term future of the club, and supports the goals of funding, safeguarding and representing supporters.
If you believe in fan ownership and want to play an active role in shaping the future of Falkirk Football Club, you can join the Falkirk Supporters Society for just £10 per month by clicking HERE. Free memberships are also available to youth and child members, with entry into a draw to become a mascot and other benefits included.
Together, we can continue building a stronger club, on and off the pitch.
