Anyone run a football team?

Back when I was 18, nightmare, Helenvale Sunday Amateur League, 1st Generation Astro, I fell out with pals dropping them and it cost me a fortune
 
I used to run a Sunday amateur team. It maybe sounds a bit dramatic but it takes over your life to an extent. I was knocking back shifts at work, missing Rangers games etc because I felt I HAD to be there for matches. My Mrs wasn’t too happy either at the all day sessions in the pub, the ‘I’m the manager, I have to go to the pub’ excuse was wearing thin.
I was falling out with guys on a weekly basis because everybody thinks they should be in the starting eleven, it all came to a head the day the tims beat us 6-2, we had just been pumped and a couple of boys were doing my box in moaning about not getting a start, I wasn’t in the best of moods because of the score and told them to stick their team up their hoop. Managerial career over. :D
 
The cost of facilities is ridiculous and as a boys club we we’re getting them slightly cheaper add on ref costs(depending on age of team) you could easily be forking out £100 a week
 
Anyone started one from scratch?

Started an Saturday morning amateur team from scratch and this is our 4th season, but it'll probably be our last. There are me and another boy a who share the responsibilities

We were lucky in the first year that we had a sponsor who got 2 sets of strips but outwith that expense is definitely the biggest problem so if you can do some sort of fund raising Id definitely recommend it

There are league fees, balls, strips and the payment for your pitch every second week (could be more at the beginning as a lot of leagues start with a sectional cup at the beginning of the season). This is before you kick a ball and you could be hundreds of pounds down

You'll need to find a core of players who all want to play an my advice would be if you know anyone who wants to play sign them. It depends on the age of the team you're starting but for us we have boys who work, then get injuries/suspensions or other commitments so if its the same level, you cant ever have too many players. Easier to trim if you have to than attract if youre struggling

The admin side can be a pain as you can be constantly releasing or signing players or playing trialists or whatever.

I know Im sounding negative but honestly give it a go, sometimes I think its the best thing I've ever done. We won a trophy last season and everyone was buzzing. You do get some great laughs in the dressing room and it might sound corny but I have met some cracking lads through it

Plus the banter is always good and just to be involved in football knowing you're all in it together with your mates is a great thing

The good things outweigh the bad
 
What are the biggest problems you'd face to get a club set up and keep it going?.

Finding players? Money? Sponsorship? Admin?
helped an amateur team for a few months , went to shit as players lost interest

1 match we had 19 wanting to play, 2nd match we only had 7 from the 19 lol

its really a mates game
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TBM
Would love to get back into a team but even trying to get a squad together for 5s is a struggle these days to be honest.

With more and more people working shifts it's difficult to find a suitable time to play. If you do get a suitable time, that's not to say you can get a slot to play a game.

I work in leisure and see it from both sides. Where I work, hall and pitch access times are restricted due to sharing the building with a school. Off the top of my head, 70% of our bookings during the week are geared towards under 16s activities/ clubs (which there is absolutely no problem with that). However, that also means that any slots where adults could play are restricted.

Having the pitch limited to an 8pm and a Sunday curfew certainly doesn't help matters either.
 
Last edited:
Started an Saturday morning amateur team from scratch and this is our 4th season, but it'll probably be our last. There are me and another boy a who share the responsibilities

We were lucky in the first year that we had a sponsor who got 2 sets of strips but outwith that expense is definitely the biggest problem so if you can do some sort of fund raising Id definitely recommend it

There are league fees, balls, strips and the payment for your pitch every second week (could be more at the beginning as a lot of leagues start with a sectional cup at the beginning of the season). This is before you kick a ball and you could be hundreds of pounds down

You'll need to find a core of players who all want to play an my advice would be if you know anyone who wants to play sign them. It depends on the age of the team you're starting but for us we have boys who work, then get injuries/suspensions or other commitments so if its the same level, you cant ever have too many players. Easier to trim if you have to than attract if youre struggling

The admin side can be a pain as you can be constantly releasing or signing players or playing trialists or whatever.

I know Im sounding negative but honestly give it a go, sometimes I think its the best thing I've ever done. We won a trophy last season and everyone was buzzing. You do get some great laughs in the dressing room and it might sound corny but I have met some cracking lads through it

Plus the banter is always good and just to be involved in football knowing you're all in it together with your mates is a great thing

The good things outweigh the bad

All that and then missus decides to bring home 3 fucking dragons, hard shift! .. :))
 
Getting a regular squad of players you can rely on to turn up (and pay their club dues) is half the battle, you need as wide a network of players as possible. I would recommend tying in with a Saturday team if you play sundays. See if they have any boys needing game time that could turn out and boost your squad
 
  • Like
Reactions: jtc
I help to run a 2011 kids team.

Biggest problem is committed coaches, if you have folk committed to helping then getting sponsor money, setting up race nights ect is easy enough.

With youth football the coaches need pvgs and have to have completed certain coaches courses ect which is a bit of a pain.

Luckily we have a fair few coaches and help with admin too such as fees, registering players ect, if you have committed help then you should be fine.
 
I've just started my boys 2010s team. The hardest part so far is the syfa system which is a joke to use. Also the coaching badges and first aid take up a few days have to manage it all round Rangers games.
 
What are the biggest problems you'd face to get a club set up and keep it going?.

Finding players? Money? Sponsorship? Admin?

Everything you have listed can be problems!!

Tough shift, can be rewarding though!
 
I run an amateur team, getting players to commit is a nightmare at times, if you have a committed group then you don't mind running about sorting pitches, kits etc throughout the week.

Its a thankless task at the best of times though so fair play to anyone that does it. You can see by the amount of "big" amateur teams folding these days how difficult it is.
 
What are the biggest problems you'd face to get a club set up and keep it going?.

Finding players? Money? Sponsorship? Admin?

everything.
The main one funds. You have parks to pay, refs, training, league fees, kit- both playing and training, First aid gear & insurance.
Then you may have fines over the course of a season.
If you have sponsors or do totes and everyone buys in then it is a lot easier.
this can take time to build up and at one time I was owed half a grand with last team I ran.

Then you are onto a squad and finding somewhere to play and train. Keeping everyone happy is a nightmare and they really are pampered pussies nowadays. You have e-mail, text, Facebook, Instagram etc and some dick will still contact you 10.30 on a Friday night asking what is the arrangements for tomorrow.

They just want to train and play and don't care about all the work you and the committee members are doing behind the scenes. Some even query why they have to pay for this?

The big plus is getting a squad of guys together and the banter and laughs from it. Some will become new mates for life.
Christmas nites oot and end of season breaks abroad- what happens in Spain stays in Spain and all that- if you are financially stable: so many teams fold as they cannot get a decent business model.

If your team is decent then nothing tops winning -games, cups and leagues. Great times
If your team is not so good then just getting them to turn up for training during CL nights, it's raining etc is a total nightmare.

A good team will have nearly every body at training champing at the bit as they don't want dropped .
Other teams will have mega calls off for made up shit like working, baby sitters, car trouble, transport or something else on that they huvnae made up yet.

Overall though I wouldn't swap the laughs and memories I had over the years.
Best of luck.
 
Been involved in a few teams over the years. There are loads of things to contend with like getting players to turn up regularly, the admin can be horrendous especially at the start of a season, booking facilities, organising refs, kits, raising money, transport to games etc etc etc

It eats up a hell of a lot of your time and a lot of your resources but it can be great fun and give you some great times.
 
I help run a national division amatuer rugby team, we have over 160 players on our books but still struggle for squads some weeks!

sponsorship, cost and player commitment are the biggest hurdles.

how some of these sunday league teams stay afloat with 20 players is a miracle
 
And if its youth football, I would add parents to the list!

Parents can be a right pain in the hoop!

I actually had to break up a near fight in my work because a parent was having a right go at the coach because his kid wasn't playing all the time. This was an under 9s/10s team at the time. Poor coach was a really nice guy to deal with and always stopped for a chat with the staff - sadly chucked it not long after the incident.

Even worse is that I can think of another 3 times things have got "heated" between a parent and coach. Quite sad really.
 
Last edited:
My wife aunt is secretary of a local youth club and I've been saying for months now that I'd like to get invoiced in the coaching but I've yet to do anything about it it would prob be U9s - U11s. I really need to get my backside into gear and go speak to her about it again.
 
I run a Saturday Ammies team. Need to have a good group of players who are willing to put effort in. We run a last Man Standing and it pays for nearly everything.
 
You need 4 others willing to take on exta duties as it's too much for 1 person.

Manager, Treasurer, Club Secretary, Assistant manager and club captain all committed to the team/club.

Set it up so you all know your roles and what isnt your job, then u need enough committed players. If u can get all this then and everyone mocks in it's easy enough and will be much more rewarding!
 
couple of my mates do it and its a thankless task. Played amateur for years and guy that ran it was just dedicated regardless of success or failure. Even he was lucky though in getting a core group of mates that stuck it for years, so he always just had to add a few new players each season.
 
As above the cost of the facilities is a joke. Our club has joined a council scheme which means our pitch hire is at a reduced rate. Training costs are £45 per week plus pitch hire which has now been reduced to £27 per week.

Getting players is a struggle but its the paperwork at the start which is a headache to get registered with the leagues, then register players etc.
 
What are the biggest problems you'd face to get a club set up and keep it going?.

Finding players? Money? Sponsorship? Admin?

I am involved with women’s football and it has many of the same issues as both amateur and junior set ups.

We are a big Club with teams from U9s to the SWPL 1st Team and it is incredibly hard work to keep everything running.

As Assistant Manager I give up a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for training and a Sunday for games. Then I deal with some post match stuff like playertek GPS, watching back the game and session planning. On top of that I am running the media section of the club so that is another 5-6 hours a week, I act as Club secretary as well so put in another 5 hours and that’s before attending any League meetings.
I would reckon I am putting around 30 hours a week unpaid into my club.

Recruitment is more key than anything. You need to get good people involved in background roles who will drive sponsorship and organisation which allows players to be that - players. I often find they get disinterested when you are asking them do things outside of training and playing.

It is incredibly stressful at times, at times I wonder why the hell I am doing it but we have a really committed affiliation with a men’s club which alleviates some costs in terms of a training venue and home pitch thankfully.

However I have some of the best times of my football life. We have won League titles, cups, competed against the best the country has to offer, visited PSG, Lyon, Brondby and Ajax training ground and through it I start my UEFA A Licence soon. I wound never have thought I would be doing that standing dong my first basic badge 8 years ago.

Ive met some fantastic people, some who will be friends for life and managed to get myself to coaching and working at a good standard of football. I wouldn’t change anything.
 
Last edited:
I used to run a Sunday amateur team. It maybe sounds a bit dramatic but it takes over your life to an extent. I was knocking back shifts at work, missing Rangers games etc because I felt I HAD to be there for matches. My Mrs wasn’t too happy either at the all day sessions in the pub, the ‘I’m the manager, I have to go to the pub’ excuse was wearing thin.
I was falling out with guys on a weekly basis because everybody thinks they should be in the starting eleven, it all came to a head the day the tims beat us 6-2, we had just been pumped and a couple of boys were doing my box in moaning about not getting a start, I wasn’t in the best of moods because of the score and told them to stick their team up their hoop. Managerial career over. :D

Can 100% relate to this mate. Coached a youth team for a good few years.

It virtually leaves you with no spare time whatsoever, can be very very frustrating as well especially with youths when you can see the ability and potential but the lack of attitude and commitment determine their fate.
 
My mate and I ran a boys team in the late 80's -early 90's (One of the admin on here played for us!!)

We were lucky in that the local community got behind us and supported us through strips/training tops/ paying for pitches/ refs etc.

We even had a local mini bus driver who gave us great rates to go to all the away games.

The team ran for 5 years , but without that support we wold have been gone in less than two
 
I actually had to break up a near fight in my work because a parent was having a right go at the coach because his kid wasn't playing all the time. This was an under 9s/10s team at the time. Poor coach was a really nice guy to deal with and always had a chat with you - sadly chucked it not long after the incident.

Even worse is that I can think of another 3 times things have got "heated" between a parent and coach. Quite sad really.
I run a kids 2009 year team and had a parent of the opposition run across the pitch and shove me in the chest last week.
These people really need to think about the example they are setting.
 
I run a kids 2009 year team and had a parent of the opposition run across the pitch and shove me in the chest last week.
These people really need to think about the example they are setting.

That's the thing, they don't. And I'll wager that they'll be the first ones to criticise the coaches and even their own kids performance in a game. The same people that drive others away from sport.

It's not the World Cup ffs.
 
I run a kids 2009 year team and had a parent of the opposition run across the pitch and shove me in the chest last week.
These people really need to think about the example they are setting.

Seen plenty incidents over the years when my two boys played boys club football. Some of the parents are an absolute disgrace, the woman are worse than the men at times.
At the other end of the scale, you have parents that just drop their kids off for games and don’t stay to watch them play. I always found that incredibly sad and felt sorry for those kids.
 
doing the saturday morning car run around Oronsay in the Port trying to find my players was the hardest bit
 
I honestly don't know how you could be uninterested in watching your own kids play football.

Some people just appeared to see it as a glorified babysitting service.
The very same people would be posted missing when any fundraisers were on. I remember sitting at a parents meeting just before the boys were due to travel down to a tournament in Preston. They had bus travel, three nights accommodation, entry to the tournament, all their food and drink paid for and a day out at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. All the club had asked for was £80 per player to help with costs and one parent actually asked “what do they actually get for the £80 though?” :D Totally clueless.
 
OP are you the guy who runs the find a player app, is it still going and does it get updated much as never have any response through it looking for players and have only ever been replied to once for a game that I showed interest in?
 
Case and point - last weekend I had 18 available to play at home (can only name 16).

This weekend away I've got a squad of 13 including myself and the sub keeper!
 
I have Run Boys club Teams without any family involvement just to coach, went into Pro youth, Junior and back to boys club for my own son. Its the same narrative as above unless you get a hardcore group of players/Parents who have same mindset then its a struggle. With being asked to coach my son I have found it more difficult as I didnt want to but the standard of coaching was poor (Dads trying but had little experience of coaching)
 
I was involved with running boys, youth and Amateur teams since 1990 until I chucked it last year. Best advice I can give anyone thinking of running any team at any age level is get good people to back you up and share the load. Dont try to do it all yourself or it will end badly.
 
I coach / help run a boys club 2007’s

- hardest things atm are parents not paying DD’s
- Parents not having kids there on time for match day (we meet 30 mins before kick off) and kids appear 5 mins before kick off time.

the kids themselves are mainly great and keen to learn ... the parents are more the issue.
 
What are the biggest problems you'd face to get a club set up and keep it going?.

Finding players? Money? Sponsorship? Admin?

Attempted it years ago. Played about 6 games. One of them ended 24-0 to one of the Drumchapel in the cup
 
I run the Kiwi True Blues FC .

We began with players purely form the supporters club in Auckland playing 7s together.

We then made the move into 11s and entered the local sunday league . A few players brought friends form work along and we quickly had a squad of 18 with the majority being rangers fans .

Over the years it grew and grew - we won each league in the sunday league - with new players ( usually arriving for 1-2 years on holiday visa helping us keep the squad healthy and blue.

After winning 4 tittles in a row - and taking out the Auckland Sunday Premier League - we made the move to Saturday football . We now play in what is basically the 5th tier of NZ football .

The squad has taken on more of a ex-pat feel to it - still got a ranger core - but we now have boys form all over the UK coming to us. Most of them lean our way and come to events ran by the supporters club and watch old firm games with us .

Biggest thing for us is money. We are solely amateur but now play in a league were boys are getting their fees paid for them and a small backhander each week . We cant compete with that atm.

We have a sponsor who gives us a brand new kit - H and A every two years. And a pub who hosts social events for us give us some money as well.
 
Back
Top