Customer Charter
Gillingham Football Club is committed to providing a high quality of service to all our customers together with maintaining and enhancing its relationship with the local community.
Gillingham Football Club is committed to providing a high quality of service to all our customers together with maintaining and enhancing its relationship with the local community.
WE WILL RESPOND TO ALL ENQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS PROMPTLY
Customers should direct all their questions, feedback, or complaints to enquires@priestfield.com with all relevant staff ensuring that all issues are dealt with promptly and efficiently.
Where required, the club will acknowledge receipt of any contact from a customer within three working days. The club responds by telephone, e-mail, and/or by letter. If a written response is requested, a written response will be supplied.
Where a written response is requested, the club will endeavour to do so within 10 working days. The club may require up to 21 days responding if it is necessary to devote more time to an investigation. The club does not respond to correspondence and/or complaints by mail unless the name and address of the sender is provided.
If the customer feels that they are less than satisfied with the service, they receive they should direct their complaints to the below employees.
Disability Liaison Officer: Ben Reeves
Gillingham FC Telephone: 01634 300000
GFC Email: enquiries@priestfield.com
Under the new ADR system, supporters can refer any complaints straight from club to IFO stage, removing the requirement for a formal governing body stage.
Independent Football Ombudsman: www.theifo.co.uk
Independent Football Ombudsman
Premier House
1-5 Argyle Way
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2AD
Furthermore, under the Government's recent Expert Working Group (EWG) Supporter Ownership and Engagement discussions, we will hold at least two fan forums per seasons, to which supporters (and/or representatives) will be invited in order to discuss significant issues relating to the Club.
Our supporter liaison officer and relevant members of senior staff will be present at such meetings; information on dates, locations and how to obtain entry into the meetings will be published on the club website and GFC social media channels in advance of the fan forums.
For more information on the fan forums, contact Ben Reeves on enquires@priestfield.com.
We also encourage interactive engagement through social media and any fan feedback is encouraged via our social media channels:
Twitter - @TheGillsFC
Facebook - Gillingham Football Club Official
Instagram – gfcofficial
YouTube - GFCofficial
WE WILL BE COURTEOUS, HELPFUL AND WELL-INFORMED
The club expects its staff, stewards, and representatives to be courteous, helpful, and well informed. Any person who feels that any of the club's personnel are failing to meet the standards they would reasonably expect should notify the club as above.
The club will monitor the telephone system, official website, and official Social Media Channels regularly to ensure that all information provided is current, fully updated and working efficiently.
WE WILL MAKE THE MEMS PRIESTFIELD STADIUM A WELCOME PLACE FOR EVERYONE
The Club is striving to make the MEMS Priestfield Stadium accessible to all members of the community and in doing so comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
To this end the club offers:
A pricing strategy to meet the needs of all individuals by means of a range of ticket prices
Concessions on match day tickets for junior supporters, students, and senior citizens
Also, Season tickets payable by instalments through the club's external credit agency at a reasonable rate of interest.
An equal opportunities policy - The club will not discriminate against any person on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion, or disability.
Gillingham Football Club operates a no smoking policy throughout the stadium.
WE WILL BE FAIR IN SELLING TICKETS
For home matches the club will sell tickets in the following order of priority, subject to availability. Discretion will be applied to the number of tickets available to each applicant.
- Season Ticket Holders
- General Sale
Ticketing details for cup competitions will be announced via the official website, official social media channels, local press, and other media outlets, once agreed by the two clubs.
MATCH ABANDONMENT/POSTPONEMENT POLICY
In the event of the postponement of a Match before you have entered the Ground and before kick-off, the Ticket will be valid for the rearranged playing of the Match.
Where a Match is postponed after you have entered the Ground, but before the Match has kicked-off, entry to the Ground for the re-arranged Match shall only be permitted on presentation of the ticket and subject to compliance with any other requirements announced by Gillingham Football Club at the time.
If the Match is played ‘behind closed doors’ or the postponed or abandoned Match is: (i) not re-arranged; or (ii) the Ticket holder is unable to attend the rearranged Match, the Ticket holder will be entitled to a reallocation of the ticket to a home league fixture of the season that the fixture in mention is played. The procedure for such, will be announced by Gillingham Football Club
WE WILL WORK TO BUILD OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Gillingham Football Club are committed to delivering a range of opportunities and activities for local clubs, school, and communities for the coming season. .
Our work with local schools will continue to expand, working within curriculum time, after school sessions and holiday courses. Schools will be invited to visit the club and opportunities to watch first team games will be available.
WE WILL BE FAIR TO VISITING SUPPORTERS
The club abides by Football Association and EFL rules governing the allocation of tickets to visiting clubs.
WE WILL NOT EXPLOIT BUYERS OF OUR MERCHANDISE
Replica kit has a life span of a minimum of one season. The club is committed to ensuring a competitive price for all replica kit and not entering into price fixing in relation to the sale of replica kits.
The club will communicate with supporters regarding future replica kit designs and prospective launch dates.
The club offers refunds on merchandise in accordance with its legal obligations under the Sale of Goods Act.
WE WILL CONSULT OUR SUPPORTERS AND STAKEHOLDERS
Gillingham F.C. will publicise its policies and initiatives on the official website, official social media channels and through the local press and media outlets.
The club will arrange to consult with sponsors, the local authority, residents' groups, and other interested parties, where appropriate.
Under the new ADR system, supporters can refer any complaints straight from club to IFO stage, removing the requirement for a formal governing body stage. We will seek representation from supporter groups and host two meetings per season, to which the club's supporters (or representatives) are to be invited to discuss significant issues relating to the club.
The club will give early notice of any changes to its ticketing policy and the reasons for those changes.
COMMERCIAL/MARKETING
The club deals with all sponsorship and commercial enquiries in house and can be contacted via enquires@priestfield.com
Our Marketing and Communications department is run by Phill Catterick; all important news will be communicated via the club’s official website and official social media channels.
CHARITY POLICY
Gillingham Football Club is proud to be official Charity Partners of Take Heart Mercy Mission.
DATA PROTECTION
Any personal information supporters give to us will be processed in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act 1998.
Any sensitive information is stored in secure, locked areas. We do not hold credit card information on site.
PARKING POLICY
This is restricted to roads surrounding the stadium but visiting supporters should note that many nearby roads are for permit holders only.
Chicago Avenue and the bottom end of Sunnymead Avenue are both free for parking use.
Woodlands Primary School has offered the use of its car parks for supporters' use. This is private land which is owned and securitised by Woodlands Primary School.
Its 100-plus spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at £5 each from 1.30pm for every Saturday match until the end of the season. Please note that the car park is not available outside of the football season and anyone parking there over the summer is liable to find their car locked inside the school.
Woodland Primary School Staff will be on hand to assist with the arrangements and will be locking the gates at 6pm.
SAFEGUARDING
Gillingham Football Club has a role to play in safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual, or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying.
It is noted and accepted that the Football Association’s Safeguarding Children Regulations applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Gillingham Football Club is dedicated to minimising the environmental impacts of our activities.
To ensure we will fulfil our commitment we will continue to embrace initiatives and technologies that will reduce our environmental impact whenever possible. We will work towards improving efficiency and sustainability within the club at all levels and encourages employees, suppliers, and partners to do the same.
CATERING
All retail, hospitality and event catering at Priestfield Stadium are provided by Gillingham Football Club.
DEALING WITH UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR
Gillingham FC is committed to providing a positive atmosphere allowing all fans to enjoy the match. We publish copies of the EFL Ground Regulations at all entrances, and it is a condition of entry to the ground that spectators will adhere to these rules.
Any breach of ground regulations could result in the offender being ejected from the ground.
In all but the most serious cases the individual will be warned and given an opportunity to modify their behaviour. If the behaviour continues, then the person may be removed from the ground. If the breach of regulations is also a
Criminal offence, then we will call the police to deal with the offender once they have been removed from the stand.
The circumstances surrounding any ejection will be considered by the club. Serious breaches are likely to result in an extended ban. Less serious matters would normally attract a ban of between 1-5 home games depending on the nature of the incident. There will not be any recompense for season ticket holders who miss games as a result of being banned from the ground.
Persons on bail during a police investigation or pending a court appearance for a football related incident will be banned from the ground whilst the bail is on force.
At the end of any ban re-admission to the ground will be dependent on signing an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement, to be of good behaviour, which will remain in force for one calendar year from the date of signing. Any ejection while a person is subject of an ABA will result in a season-long ban.
CROWD PROTECTION
The club will deploy a Safety Management Team and Safety Stewards in sufficient numbers to comply with the Safety Certificate issued by the local authority. Stewards will be deployed to monitor entrance and exit gates as well as in spectator areas to observe the crowd and look for signs of discomfort or disorder. The purpose of this deployment is to provide a safe environment for all persons attending the ground, whether as a spectator, employee or official.
The club will also deploy sufficient medical staff to provide first aid cover for those inside the ground. This will normally comprise at least an Ambulance Officer, a fully equipped Paramedic Ambulance and a number of qualified first aiders. The club will maintain and equip a medical room for use by the medical team in compliance with the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The club believes it should be a part of the community in the widest sense and that its success should partly be judged on the impact it has on the community in which it exists.
Everyone at the club is committed to tackling environmental and social issues and Gillingham FC works towards self-imposed targets.
COVID POLICY
Please see our Supporters’ Code of Conduct for more information.