ADVERTORIAL A ONE-STOP SHOP TO FUNDING CLUBS
FUNDING, of course, is a major issue for many NonLeague and grassroots clubs. Even EFL clubs are facing a bleak future, with Fleetwood Town owner Andy Pilley suggesting “famous football clubs will no longer exist” if they fail to navigate the current crisis.
Every club is different and while all facing the same issues, the impact can vary from club to club.
Some have wealthy benefactors who are happy to bankroll them, others have the ability to shut down and restart without any problem. But for those with overheads, it has not been simple. Many clubs have found it a struggle and many will continue to do so until the lifeblood – the supporters – are able to return and fill the coffers.
Yet, it is not all doom and gloom. Some clubs have benefitted from delivery of immediate funding, tapping into a £195m package for those in the sport and physical activity sector experiencing shortterm financial hardship or ceasing operations because of the public health crisis.
Surrey-based My Club Group – a company which aims to provide ‘a one-stop shop’ of funding solutions – has led the charge, successfully coming to the aid of 34 grassroots clubs who have gained almost £100,000 of Community Emergency Grants from Sport England during the Covid-19 crisis.
Arden Forest, of the Central Warwickshire Youth League, were awarded a grant of £874.
Manager Lee Cockerill said: “The grant solution was brilliant. Thanks to My Club Group, we were awarded a grant from the Emergency Sport England Fund. We run teams from five-year-olds upwards and this money has helped us pay for our coaches to complete courses, including a Covid-19 awareness workshop.”
My Club Group, who this week announced sponsorship of the Southern Premier Division South Player of the Year Award at this year’s Virtual NGAs, were also lauded by Stephen Faulkner, boss of junior club Yalding and Leddingford, based near Maidstone, Kent.
“My Club Group did us a great service to access a grant of £480 from the Sport England Fund,” Faulkner added.
“It might not seem a lot, but the money has been vital to help keep the wolves from the door, and pay some bills so that our junior, youth and one adult side can continue when the next season starts.”
Jackpot
Sport England supports good causes with funding from the National Lottery, but the chances of winning are far less than having a flutter on one of the My Club Lotto services which put money directly into individual clubs’ coffers.
Former England and Crystal Palace winger John Salako is My Club Group’s football ambassador. Speaking on the company’s weekly Soccer Fellas podcast, he explained: “My Club
Lotto gives individuals the chance to support their local club, with net proceeds being split between the jackpot winner and the club. “Since the launch of the lottery service, My Club has processed thousands of pounds of payments to both clubs and members – and clubs will also benefit from ‘money-can’t-buy’ prizes, such as visits from ambassadors, or tickets to big sporting events once the Government gives the green light for events to resume with crowds.
“It is good to know that supporters from clubs as diverse as Lingfield FC and London Broncos
RLFC to name a couple, have won thousands, and the clubs have both benefited financially, not just from the ticket sales, but the additional prizes that go with them.
Contribution
“We need to do more to fund clubs of all shapes and sizes, and this is just one of the ways to do it.”
Under the ‘Survive, Revive, Thrive’ ethos, My Club Group this week launched My Club Market, which offers goods and services that range from consumer items, such as clothing and supplements to significant stadium equipment such as large format displays and artificial pitches.
A standout product is roadside advertising; if a club’s ground is adjacent to a major road, My Club can take on a project to install roadside screens, right through the planning application stage to completion, and then, through partners, sell the resulting advertising space.
Bristol-based Clifton Rugby Club have trialled the roadside advertising screens for the past six months and the results have been astonishing.
Club secretary Pete Mitchell explained: “This is so much more than we had anticipated when we agreed to the project. The Jumbo Roadside Advertising Screens are on course to be our biggest source of commercial income throughout the year, and on a long-term basis. For a club like ours, committed to the costs of National League rugby, this is a very significant contribution. I have been really impressed by the support we have received in getting planning arranged and all the other work that has gone into making this a success.
“This has worked for us and I see no reason why it would not achieve the same results for football clubs.”
My Club Group’s company ambassador Sam Allardyce will join the regular Soccer Fellas podcast crew this week to talk more about the funding issues facing nonleague clubs, the re-start of the Premier League and more on the company’s funding solutions. Listen to all the podcasts at https://my clubmarket.co.uk/podcast/