Benefits of NPL clubs going cashless – here’s why

Cash is briskly becoming the least likely payment option in the modern world. As is the case in football stadiums.

The United Kingdom is populated with both professional and semi-pro football clubs and in a case study of the nationwide usage of cash in 2018, there were 39.3 billion Euro handed over in transactions, with 28 per cent of those using hard copy currency.

We’ve already seen one of the leading clubs in England take a futuristic initiative. Tottenham Hotspur made their new 62,000 capacity home ground the first completely cashless stadium in the United Kingdom.

In a world that is continuing to evolve with technology and its availability, NPL and A-League clubs could well consider introducing the cashless alternative into their game day experience for fans.

In this day in age, people are less inclined to carry cash in their pockets, particularly those in the younger demographic.

Australian football should start considering introducing cashless purchases and ATM machines at all venues, whether it be at NPL or A-League level.

There are lessons to be learned from the UK. Here are the top four benefits of going cashless.

Save on labour costs

Accepting cash payments at your stadium business means committing valuable staff time to several tasks that will simply disappear if you choose to go cashless. Setting up cash floats at the beginning of the day, periodically refilling the registers with change, counting and reconciling cash for each register at the end of the day and making bank deposits all become redundant.

With cashless payments, everything is digitised through your POS system, meaning clubs are ready to go as soon as the till is switched on and all counting time is eliminated. By doing this, some UK venues are reporting labour cost savings of up to 2 hours per day per staff member.

Additional benefits include vastly reducing the risk of exposing your business to human error and, because card and mobile transactions are automatically reconciled with your bank, there is also no need to pay for a security team to support your business with bank transfers.

Increase the volume of sales

On average, it takes 15 seconds to complete a cash transaction. By contrast, chip and pin takes between 5-8 seconds and contactless transactions can be completed in just 2 seconds.

A few seconds may sound insignificant but let’s consider the difference this could make within a typical 15-minute (900 second) half-time period.

900 seconds = 60 cash transactions = at £30 per transaction = £1,800

900 seconds = 450 contactless transactions = at £30 per transaction = £13,500

While this comparison isn’t entirely accurate (there would of course be additional time to factor in while people are selecting and placing their orders), the point is well made. As well as increasing revenue, the increase in speed also improves the experience for fans who really don’t want to miss any of the action whilst queuing for food or merchandise.

Increase average spend

There have been several studies which compare card to cash payments and the simple fact is, that when using a card, people will spend more – and significantly so.

In fact, it has been reported that the average customer spend per visit to a stadium event can increase by as much as 25% when using a card payment instead of cash.

Reduce fraud and theft

Another significant reason to go cashless is the improvements such a strategy can bring around fraud and theft, both of which are serious issues for the stadium sector.

Not only is the sight of tills and cash boxes highly attractive to thieves who may be targeting your venue, but also the often-transient nature of a stadium’s workforce can make it vulnerable to fraud or theft from within.

Moving to a cashless point of sale system vastly reduces such opportunities as digital transactions are easier to track and any discrepancies will also be much easier to spot.

There are many reasons for Australian football stadiums to explore the cashless option. The sooner they do, the sooner they will catch up to the European trends that are setting the standard for stadium experience.

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Western United Teams Up with Rebuild Health and Performance

United Rebuild

Western United has welcomed Rebuild Health and Performance as the club’s Official Physiotherapy Partner for the 2025 Junior Boys National Premier League (JBNPL) season.

Through the partnership, Rebuild will form an integral role in Western United Junior Academy’s physical health and performance. For three nights a week, junior players will spend time with Rebuild physiotherapists at training, as well as on matchdays.

Additionally, junior players will receive 20% discounts off of physiotherapy services, and strength and conditioning gym memberships.

The Rebuild team will be led by sitting Western United Men’s strength coach Louis Mezza, and former Western United Woman’s Head of Performance George Mcheileh. Together they will work in tandem with Western United Academy staff and coaches to help care and develop Western United’s young talents safely.

Western United Academy Director, Anthony Frost detailed his optimism for partnering with Rebuild.

“We are excited by the prospect of working with the staff at Rebuild to help our players physical development and wellbeing in 2025. The quality of care and experience that Rebuild’s staff can provide ensures we are able to offer the very best to our Western United Academy players.

“What is so reassuring is that there is clear alignment between the club and Rebuild to ensure the we are recognised as one of the most progressive and effective football academies in the country.

“This partnership reinforces our commitment to our vision and will look forward to seeing our athletes flourish with Rebuild’s support.”

Director of Rebuild Health & Performance, George Mcheileh outlined what Rebuild would deliver to Western United as a part of the collaboration.

“A partnership opportunity with Western United Football Club to provide our services presents an exciting chance to enhance athlete wellness and physical development.

“By integrating specialized physiotherapy into the club’s training regimen, we can address injury prevention, rehabilitation, and overall physical conditioning. Our experienced physiotherapists would work closely with coaching staff to create tailored treatment plans, ensuring players receive the best care possible while optimizing their readiness for competition.

“This collaboration aligns with Western United’s vision of athlete development, and we are excited to give the Junior Academy players every opportunity to flourish and be successful.”

Through the partnership, Rebuild will receive prominent advertisement on the lower back of Junior Academy kits, in addition to game day LED signage across A-League Men’s and Woman’s home matches.

Optus Sport teams up with beIN SPORTS for live venue streaming

Optus Sport has announced an exciting partnership with beIN SPORTS, enabling commercial venues across Australia to stream premium live sports content from February 2025.

This collaboration allows pubs, clubs, and other venues to access beIN SPORTS’ top-tier coverage through Optus Sport Business’s streaming platform.

The deal significantly enhances Optus Sport’s content offerings, adding major leagues and tournaments such as LALIGA, Serie A, the Carabao Cup, the English Football League, and ATP & WTA Tennis.

With three dedicated beIN SPORTS channels integrated into the Optus Sport Business platform, fans can enjoy seamless access to world-class sporting action in public venues.

Building on the success of UEFA EURO 2024™ and its ongoing coverage of the Premier League, Optus Sport expects this collaboration to elevate the viewing experience, attract more visitors to venues, and create an unmatched atmosphere for sports fans across Australia.

Scott Davoren, Associate Director of Optus Sport Business spoke on the importance of delivering the Optus Sport experience across many venues.

“We are dedicated to helping commercial venues deliver world-class sports experiences, and partnering with beIN SPORTS is a huge step forward in achieving that goal,” Davoren mentioned in a press release.

“Football has been the essence of Optus Sport since 2016, and now, with beIN SPORTS as a venue partner in Australia, we’re privileged to bring an even wider array of live sport to our Optus Sport Business customers.”

John Armitage, Director, Distribution & Country Manager, Australia & New Zealand beIN SPORTS shared the same excited sentiment about the interesting deal.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Optus Sport to bring our premium sports content to commercial venues across Australia,” Armitage said in a press release.

“We understand that the fragmentation of sports rights in this market can be challenging for venues. Through this partnership, we are providing a streamlined, centralised solution-that makes it easier for venues to offer more live sport to their patrons.

“By prioritising the fan experience, we’re ensuring that football and tennis enthusiasts can enjoy unforgettable moments together in their favourite venues. With Optus Sport, we look forward to enhancing -in-venue experiences and drive increased foot traffic into our venue partners.”

This partnership addresses a common challenge for commercial venues: navigating fragmented sports rights across multiple providers.

By consolidating premium sports content, Optus Sport and beIN SPORTS aim to simplify access and deliver a unified sports experience for patrons which will benefit all Australian sport fans.

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