01 | On the Front Foot

On the Front Foot is a fortnightly blog for the volunteers running grassroots football clubs. I’m one too, like most of the team here at TeamFeePay, so hopefully you’ll find this useful. We’re going to try and talk about the stuff that’s actually important to you, and hopefully we can help. 

I’m an U18 coach and volunteer at Rosario FC here in Belfast, and I’ve been doing that — training sessions, matchdays, committee meetings, the lot — for 5 years now. I know what it’s like. 

Every fortnight I’m going to pick one thing that’s actually useful for wherever we are in the season, put a real club against it, and tell you what to go and do about it. No rhetoric. Just what I’d say to you over a cup of tea or a pint if we were meeting. 

And here’s the bit that actually matters: this isn’t going to be what we think you need. It’s going to be what clubs tell us is keeping them up at night. So, this first one’s an overview, four things we hear about constantly, and from here it’s shaped by you. 

Earlier this month I sat down with a committee at a club just outside Belfast and went through what they’d spent since the summer. Affiliation fees, kit, balls, nets, first aid stuff. Every bit of it is needed. 

They’ve £800 left. Subs collection starts again in October. 

I know that feeling. I’ve done the sums hoping I’d got it wrong the first time and it still came out short. If that’s you right now, you’re not behind, you’re the majority, and it’s fixable. Just maybe not where you’d think to look first. Because the first place I’d go to isn’t a funder or a grant, or a sponsor. It’s the money you’re already owed. 

So, here’s where I’d start, in the order I’d actually go looking. 

1. Collect what you’re already owed

For most clubs we talk to, the biggest pot of money isn’t a grant, it’s subs nobody’s actually collected yet. And it’s not usually that families won’t pay, it’s that nobody knows for certain who has. I’ve been that manager with the notebook and a tally that never quite added up at the end of the month. If every team manager’s collecting into their own account, or it’s spread across four spreadsheets and a WhatsApp group, nobody can tell you what the club’s actually owed, and you spend the whole season chasing money you never quite catch up on. 

2. Fundraise without it becoming a second job

Raffles, five-a-sides, race nights, they all still work. What kills them is the admin. One raffle years ago I was the one holding the money, counting it at the kitchen table at midnight, and I honestly couldn’t have told you whether we’d made money once you counted my time. 

Two things help. Take the money online so no volunteer’s personally holding any cash. And where you can, go for something that keeps running rather than a one-off — a monthly draw brings in a bit every month instead of relying on the one weekend you actually managed to pull it off. 

3. Make sponsorship an easier ask

Most clubs do this the hard way. One trip to a local business for one big number a year, without ever really saying what they get for it. 

Try asking monthly instead. £50 a month is something a small business owner can say yes to standing in their own shop. £600 up front turns into “let me think about it,” and we all know how that usually ends. It also means the money’s coming in through the season rather than one lump in August that’s gone by October. 

4. Go after grants, but get ready first

Grants get skipped for two reasons. Clubs assume they won’t qualify, or they don’t know where to look. But honestly the bigger issue is timing — most of the big facility funds only open once a year and knowing well ahead what you need to be eligible, and actually having it ready, is what separates a strong bid from a missed one. I’ve watched clubs miss a fund by a matter of days because the paperwork wasn’t ready when the window opened.

A few to get you started, and we’ll bring more of these as we go:

• England — Football Foundation. Up to £25,000 for goalposts, floodlights, storage, changing facilities, pitch improvement, and maintenance kit. If your focus is girls’ and women’s football, look at the Lionesses Here to Play Fund too.
• Northern Ireland — Irish FA/DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund. Opens early 2027. Use the autumn to get ready — security of tenure, planning approval, a costed plan, match funding sorted.
• Scotland — Scottish FA Community Football Spaces Fund. This is the one you actually apply through. Pitching In, the campaign behind it to raise £50m by 2030 for pitches and changing facilities, isn’t the application page — this fund is.
• Wales —  Cymru Football Foundation. Equipment, facilities and sustainability grants.
• Republic of Ireland — FAI Fund My Club and the Sports Capital & Equipment Programme, the multi-sport all-club scheme. Up to €200,000 for local projects, €500,000 for regional.

Want more on any of this, reach out to our club development team, clubdevelopment@teamfeepay.com.

More about TeamFeePay 

 Every fortnight we’ll let you get to know someone on the team a bit better, who they are and their own background in grassroots football. Up today, Victoria Millar, our Chief Revenue Officer, whose connection to grassroots football goes far beyond supporting from the sidelines. As well as cheering on her sons at Bangor Swifts and Bangor F.C., Vic previously played for Bangor Swifts Ladies and remains closely involved in helping the Swifts work towards its goal of developing its own facilities, giving the club a permanent home and creating new opportunities for players and families in the local community. 

For Victoria, football is more than a sport, it’s a way of life. From working with clubs during the week to standing on the touchline every weekend, grassroots football has shaped friendships, created lasting memories, and delivered countless moments that keep people coming back season after season. 

“Grassroots football is incredibly competitive, not just on the pitch but in the challenges clubs face every day. What I enjoy most is being able to work alongside clubs as a trusted partner, helping them grow, become more sustainable, and ultimately create a better experience for the communities they serve. Nothing beats the buzz of matchday, being there for clubs, players and families, and seeing the impact that passionate volunteers have on the game.” 

That same passion is what drives TeamFeePay. We’re building a team of football people who understand the realities of grassroots football because we live them ourselves as parents, volunteers, coaches and committee members. Together, we’re helping clubs reduce admin, strengthen their finances and free up more time for what really matters: supporting players, developing communities and ensuring grassroots football continues to thrive for generations to come. 

Over to you