Burton Albion have decided to make the 'family area' at the Pirelli Stadium a permanent fixture after what they deemed a successful two-game trial.

A corner of the North Stand - opposite the seated areas of the Pirelli - is to be designated for under 16s and their relatives only with its first game as a full-time feature on Friday night with the visit of Sheffield United.

The club says that it is "a new initiative to develop a recognised gap in our match day experience which will benefit our valued existing and new fans."

The Brewers trialled the family area in the home games against Ipswich Town and Barnsley last month, with section J of the North Stand earmarked for use by families only.

Burton Albion fans at the Riverside Stadium
Burton Albion fans at the Riverside Stadium

And the hope is that a designated area for families will encourage more parents to bring their children to matches and not be put off by bad language from fellow supporters.

Manager Nigel Clough and his players will also encourage the use of the family area, with some members of the squad visiting both before and after games.

"We are delighted that the Family Area has been well received and we can now look at long terms plans for making the match-day experience even better for children and their parents," commercial director Fleur Robinson said.

"There will be a lot of work to do in this area to get it to the level of expectations and we want hear from our families as to what they want to see moving forward.

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough

"The Burton Albion Community Trust (BACT) will lead on this engagement including activities in the family zone at the new Community Building and within the family section of the North Stand.

"We are delighted that the manager Nigel Clough has given his support by assigning some of the squad to visit the area on match days."

Matt Hancock, head of community at BACT, said: "We will be working on making each game a memorable experience and hope families can head over to the Family Zone at the 3G pitch before the game where we will be putting on pre-match activities."

"We also hope our young supporters will join the ever-growing band of Junior Brewers, which offers great value for money at just £15."