Form Analysis: Newcastle United Football Club

Description

In this webinar, myself and Adam Winsland at Zuko Form Analytics walked through Newcastle United Football Club’s registration form and uncovered a catalogue of common UX mistakes that make life harder for users and reduce conversions.

Key Issues Identified

• Overwhelming entry points – Multiple options (login, lite registration, social sign-ins, long form) created unnecessary friction and confusion.

• Unclear and poorly written instructions – Copy such as “create a free NUFC account below either in one click using…” was difficult to understand, undermining trust.

• Error handling – All error messages appeared at the top of the form, disconnected from the relevant fields, forcing users to hunt for mistakes.

• Accessibility concerns – Low-contrast placeholder backgrounds made it difficult to see text, especially for users with visual impairments.

• Inefficient layout – A two-column design forced excessive eye movement and slowed down completion.

• Unnecessary data collection – Mandatory fields such as “Title” and “Gender” (with no clear purpose) risked frustrating users.

• Date of birth picker – Forcing users to scroll back to 1906 is not just inefficient but also exclusionary.

• Password rules revealed too late – Users only discovered the requirements after failing, instead of being guided with inline rules.

Positive Elements

• Inclusion of an address finder (with manual fallback).

• Clear opt-in checkboxes that weren’t pre-selected.

• Non-password data was retained on error, preventing complete “form nuking.”

Overall Verdict

We scored the form 3 out of 10. While it is functional, it falls short of modern usability and accessibility standards. With changes to copy, layout, error handling, and field justification, this form could see significantly improved completion rates and a much smoother user experience.

Key Takeaways

• Clarity wins – Clear instructions and inline guidance reduce friction.

• Accessibility isn’t optional – High-contrast text and larger hit-targets improve usability for everyone.

• Ask only what you need – Every extra field is a potential drop-off point.

• Error handling matters – Keep messages close to fields, not hidden at the top of the page.

• Forms are brand experiences – Poor usability damages trust just as much as broken features.