Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 10th October 2024 Issue no. 1133

Your industry news - first

The original and best - for over 20 years!

We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.

South London stadium deemed dirtiest out of UK’s largest 23, new study reveals

With food festivals and concerts in full swing, Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park Stadium in South London has been named the worst for food hygiene out of all stadiums across the UK, a new study has found.

The 'Filthy Football League' index by Victor Floorcare used data based on a selection of negative keywords around cleanliness in reviews left by visitors, alongside a hygiene rating from The Food Standards Agency, to rank the country's most popular stadiums based on cleanliness.

Selhurst Park stadium in London, with a 25,400 capacity, had the highest percentage of reviews containing negative words such as 'dirty', 'filthy', 'unhygienic' and 'disgusting' - with many disappointed visitors commenting on the toilet facilities and the overall cleanliness of the stadium.

Selhurst Park also had an average score of three out of five for food hygiene, meaning that there is also room for improvement when it comes to the cleanliness of its catering facilities.

Coming in second is Luton Town's Kenilworth Road stadium. Recently home to BBC's Radio 1 Big Weekend, its cleanliness still leaves much to be desired according to visitors - and, since Luton FC was promoted last year, it is even more important that the stadium is spick and span.

Recently hosting Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and due to host the upcoming Bruce Springsteen tour, Wembley Stadium is known for hosting big names - but despite this, still makes the five worst rated.

After climbing its way back into the Premier League, Leicester City cannot boast winning facilities, with its King Power Stadium ranking ninth. Another popular favourite in the East Midlands and home to Nottingham Forest fans, The City Ground Stadium came 10th despite reports that ticket prices are going up by 28%.

And the top two…

Liverpool's Anfield stadium took the crown for being the most pristine place to attend an event. Anfield has a seating capacity of over 60,000 and its state-of-the-art facilities have led to it being dubbed the most iconic football stadium in the UK. The bars and restaurants at Anfield have an average food hygiene rating of five - the highest you can score.

Coming in second is Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium which had very few negative reviews around cleanliness and had a food hygiene rating of five across all of its vendors.

"In places like football stadiums that have thousands of visitors every weekend, cleanliness levels can sometimes slip if the right processes aren't adhered to, warns Edward Blackledge, managing director at Victor Floorcare. "A clean stadium can help to enhance the overall fan experience for those visiting the venue. Clean facilities, including toilets and concession areas, contribute to a positive atmosphere for everyone - whether they're season ticket holders or just visiting for the day!

"Areas within the stadium that have a particularly high footfall like bars and toilets would benefit from an industrial floor cleaner to really make sure that the dirt and grime is being removed and the area is being left spotless and sanitary ready for the next match."

The research team analysed reviews on Google Maps and TripAdvisor to see which football club has the most reviews containing negative keywords including 'filthy', 'disgusting', 'gross', 'dirty', 'vile', 'unhygienic' and 'smelly'. From this, it worked out a percentage of negative reviews that included these words. it also looked at the food hygiene rating on The Food Standards Agency for each bar or restaurant that is listed at the address of the associated football club.

Since 1946, Victor Floorcare has been helping customers with their floorcare needs. The Victor name is synonymous with high-performance, reliable and easy to use commercial cleaning machines. Products include oscillating floor cleaners, rotary machines, battery machines and scrubber dryers.

Operating across multiple sectors including education, healthcare, hospitality, local authorities, manufacturing, retail, facilities management and construction, Victor Floorcare products are manufactured in the UK with locally sourced parts and suppliers. Guided by its heritage, the manufacturer is committed to delivering engineering excellence by investing in cutting-edge technologies and embracing eco-friendly practices.

For the full research, please visit: www.victorfloorcare.com

27th June 2024