OVERALL FOOTBALL CLUB OF THE YEAR
Aston Villa FC
Aston Villa has undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging as a modern football powerhouse while staying true to its 150-year heritage. With a £450m commercial vision for 2026, the club has achieved record-breaking growth, including Champions League qualification for the first time in 40 years.
Villa ranked 18th in the Deloitte Football Money League with record revenue (+27% YoY), driven by new sponsorships (adidas, Betano), Villa Park’s hospitality overhaul, and innovative retail and broadcast strategies. The Black Sabbath campaign (692M impressions) and record-breaking kit sales amplified Villa’s global brand.
Beyond football, the Aston Villa Foundation impacted 30,000 lives annually, delivering mental health, education, and youth programs. Villa Women play all home matches at Villa Park, reinforcing equality.
With packed stadiums, increased revenue, and a thriving community impact, Aston Villa has redefined what it means to be a modern football club—blending tradition, innovation, and ambition to shape a bold, global future.
Brentford FC
Brentford is proud to do things differently. We’re building a better kind of football club that balances smart business decision-making and the power of community, a relationship underpinned by our values: togetherness, respectful and progressive. Commitment to these values drove outstanding achievements for the club in 2024.
This year, we’ve shown clubs across the country what more can be done to keep football affordable for the next generation. We stepped-up up our EDI programme to make inclusion a collective responsibility at all levels. We made more progress on our sustainability journey than in any other year in the club’s history. And we invested in our future, and our community, by delivering excellence in fan engagement and improving cardiac health in west London.
We’re all part of this plan, building something special – something that’s bigger than 90 minutes on the pitch.
We are Brentford Football Club. We make our own way.
Fulham FC
It starts with men.
Fulham have been trailblazers across football in addressing all matters relating to to Gender Equality. We have recognised that football is different for women and expecting women to thrive in a traditionally male dominated industry is not enough anymore. Particularly as there are many people who still say that women are not welcome in the game. We fundamentally disagree and wanted to do something about this matter that was brave and pioneering. Especially as there are a number of additional concerns which women have to navigate in their day to day lives such their personal safety travelling to and from work, lack of childcare, gender-based harassment and managing their reproductive health and a disproportionate risk of abuse or violence in their personal lives.
We needed a strategy to address these matters, which is where we developed ‘FFS’ the ‘Fulham Female Strategy’ which sets out the current landscape of the game and how we are working to improve equality through improving access, inclusion and outcomes for female supporters, participants, players and our workforce. ‘It starts with men’ with TFL was made so we could step outside our comfort zone. How we know women feel most days.
Luton Town FC
Luton Town Football Club stay true to themselves following promotion to the Premier League.
Wrexham AFC
The Growth and Success of Wrexham AFC Since 2021
Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s takeover in February 2021, Wrexham AFC has undergone an incredible transformation. After narrowly missing out on promotion in 2021/22, the club secured back-to-back promotions, reaching League Two in 2023 and League One in 2024.
On-field success has driven commercial growth, attracting major global sponsors such as United Airlines, HP, and MetaQuest. This has provided the financial strength to invest in the club’s future, including the opening of a new Category 3 Academy to develop young talent. Additionally, ambitious redevelopment plans for the Racecourse Ground, including a new Kop Stand with an initial 5,500 seats, potentially expanding to 7,500, increasing total capacity to 18,500.
The club’s resurgence has ignited a worldwide fanbase, with home matches consistently selling out and international supporters traveling from the USA, Canada, and beyond to experience the unique atmosphere. Interest in both the club and the city of Wrexham continues to grow, further boosted by the success of *Welcome to Wrexham*.
To sustain this momentum, Wrexham AFC has implemented a structured five-year business plan, ensuring long-term growth and financial stability, securing a bright future for both the club and its passionate Supporters
