How football club management has changed due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has created several difficulties that football clubs must deal with in order to continue to operate during this time.

The many complexities of a football club make it difficult enough to manage in normal circumstances.

Smaller or lower division clubs will be aiming to survive the pandemic while the bigger clubs will be looking for ways to continue to prosper.

In April, Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO James Johnson was unable to guarantee the survival of all A-League clubs.

“Do I think that all the clubs will make it through? I think that’s too early to say at the moment,” he said.

While the A-League season did go ahead making it more likely that all clubs will survive, the pandemic and a reduced broadcasting deal present a significant financial problem for clubs.

Football League chairman Rick Parry made similar statements in June regarding League One and Two clubs who are unsure of playing without crowds due to the decreased revenue.

“The aim is to make sure all the clubs survive, and we will be working 24 hours a day to make sure they do,” he said.

“We can’t give guarantees. Who knows whether we have seen the end of this crisis or whether there is going to be a second spike. But our aim, our avowed aim, and we will be giving it our very best shot, is to make sure the EFL comes through this stronger than we are at the moment.”

With no end date to the pandemic in sight, there are several areas in which football clubs will have to change or adapt to going forward.

Sponsorship

The football industry is not the only industry feeling the impacts of COVID-19. Current and potential sponsors for football clubs are likely to be facing financial hardship too.

Southampton are reportedly set to lose club sponsor LD Sports. The deal with LD Sports is worth £7.5million a year.

Managing Director of League Two team Oldham Athletic Natalie Atkinson told fcbusiness that the football club’s commercial income will now be completely different.

“We have to be more creative about what our matchday sponsorship looks like, our LED, our short and shirt and stadium sponsorship looks like because if we play behind closed doors they’re not going to get that fan exposure,” she said.

Although it is not all bad news for football clubs, last week Leeds United signed its largest ever commercial deal with sports betting company SBOTOP.

Fan Engagement

The main way that fans support their football team is by attendance at matches. With it being either not possible or only going ahead in limited numbers, clubs have to find other ways to engage with their supporters.

Manchester United has been providing fans with activity worksheets and video challenges via the club’s website.

TV and Broadcast Deals

COVID-19 has also created problems for football leagues. Due to lockdowns and games being unable to be played, revenue from broadcasting deals has been cut.

In America the MLS took the approach of playing a tournament titled ‘MLS is Back’ before its regular season restarts.

These extra games will be a way of making back some of that lost revenue money.

The MLS also took the opportunity of not having fans to instead install extra cameras and a big screen to display extra visuals and statistics to TV viewers.

“How we can look at really leaning into audio and all of the sounds that we wouldn’t get the benefit of hearing because of the crowd,” ESPN VP of production Amy Rosenfeld said.

“Our approach has been taking the negative of not having fans, which is such an intrinsic part of soccer, but then creating an authentic, immersive experience for the audience as if they were there and really giving them access to dialogue that we would never get access to.”

While COVID-19 has had many negative consequences, football can and does need to make the most of its opportunities to continue to remain strong after the pandemic.

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Shepparton Cup 2024: The largest junior football tournament goes from strength to strength

The Shepparton Cup was conducted over the weekend, with the event being the largest weekend junior football tournament ever held in Australia.

The 3-day event was a huge overall success, with a record breaking 313 teams competing in the tournament across 21 divisions.

Matches were spread across 38 pitches at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, Shepparton Sports City, Rumbalara and Wanganui Oval.

With around 4,000 players participating, 755 matches were played over the weekend – with finals matches concluding the event on Sunday.

“It was the biggest and smoothest tournament we’ve ever ran in our 17-year history,” Australian Football Skool (AFS) Director Rolando Navas told Soccerscene.

“There was of course really good football on show across the age groups and great sportsmanship, which was fantastic to see.

“I think the message is getting through about how important it is to provide a positive environment for kids to play sport in. It was pleasing to see everybody there, both players and parents/supporters, had a good time.”

Navas estimates that there were well over 12,500 people attending the event across both venues over the weekend, providing a giant boost to the local Shepparton area.

“You are talking about a wide range of people who are, at a minimum, staying in the city of Shepparton or close by for two nights,” he said.

“The economic impact was massive.”

Economic activity at Shepparton Cup – Image Credit: One Nil Media

Director for Sustainable Development at Greater Shepparton City Council, Geraldine Christou, further explained the greater benefits the tournament had on the local community.

“Australia’s largest junior weekend football tournament right here in Greater Shepparton showcases the strength of our community spirit and our capacity to host major events that bring joy, talent, and visitors to our region,” she stated.

“The economic benefit of this tournament is immense with an estimated $3 to $4 million generated for the region, supporting our local businesses and creating lasting memories for thousands of young athletes and their families.

The Greater Shepparton City Council’s Parks, Sport and Recreation team played a big hand in the organisation of the tournament, which included looking after the setup of pitches to the placement of goals at the venues.

Football Victoria CEO Chris Pehlivanis, who attended the tournament over the course of the weekend, was impressed with the execution of it.

“I’m proud of the whole tournament, it was an amazing opportunity to come down here to Shepparton and see lots of boys and girls playing football and playing lots of games,” he stated at the event.

“I think most kids had six, seven, eight games which is an amazing opportunity and not only that, there was amazing organisation.

“Everyone should be extremely proud of what they have achieved here this weekend…the logistics, everything was run smoothly…the referees were great and all the parents and participants were great.”

Kids at play during the Shepparton Cup – Image Credit: One Nil Media

The Shepparton Cup has continued to grow exponentially over the years, initially starting with just 30 teams in the inaugural tournament in 2007.

This year’s edition also featured a wide range of off the field activities that contributed to a carnival like atmosphere. There was live music, on stage entertainment, food trucks, a fun zone for players and families.

Navas detailed to Soccerscene that the enormity of the event was not lost on him and is investigating ways to make the competition better in the near future.

“(The growth of the event has been) overwhelming, compared to many of the previous years. It was the biggest by far this year and there was a great positivity around it.

“The plan is to not necessarily make it bigger in the future, just to tweak it and add more to it and make it a better experience for everyone.

“I’d love to be able to attract some more international teams, we are looking at that to see how we can get some of the Asian teams to come across to the event.

“This would be fantastic, as it would show the kids here how football is played in different parts of the world. The way we look at things is ‘if I was 10- or 12-years-old what would I want this tournament be?’

“That’s what drives a lot of our thinking and ultimately our initiatives. It’s important to us because if the kids have a good experience, they’re going to become better players and better people because of it.

“We’ve also received some really good information from the feedback surveys we put out, which is very beneficial in shaping the tournament suitably in future editions.”

Football West Facility Report highlights crucial need for investment

Football West has unveiled its second State Facility Report, highlighting significant infrastructure challenges across Western Australian football venues.

The comprehensive audit, conducted over the past 12 months, reveals pressing needs for facility improvements amid record growth in participation.

The timing is crucial, with football experiencing unprecedented popularity following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Official data confirms football as Australia’s leading team sport, with Western Australia seeing a 17% overall participation increase and an impressive 30% rise in female participation in 2024.

Key Findings:

  • 58% of facilities lack female-friendly changerooms
  • 52% are without female-friendly match official rooms
  • 54% have inadequate shower facilities
  • 27% have no lighting
  • 44% have substandard lighting

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell emphasises the key findings of the report and reiterates the necessity of investment in facilities.

“The importance of having adequate facilities for our community is crucial to supporting the development and growth of football and providing a good environment for our participants,” he said via press release.

“The huge health, social and economic benefits from people playing sport are well documented and football in WA plays a big role in this.”

The report aligns with both Football West’s Strategic Plan 2023-2026 and Football Australia’s One Football Strategy, underlining the urgent need for investment in football infrastructure.

Despite some recent facility upgrades, the audit indicates substantial additional investment is required to meet the growing demands of the sport.

This report points out that key infrastructure plans are funded primarily by government grants and investment support.

An area for private investment is possible but the development needed calls for more action from the government bodies for sport.

This initiative demonstrates Football West’s ongoing commitment to improving football facilities across the state, ensuring they meet the needs of the rapidly expanding football community.

Football’s rise to Australia’s most-played sport is a very exciting opportunity and the rise in participation is a welcoming statistic.

Football West is speaking out with other football communities expressing that we shouldn’t let the significant growth in the sport become a more pressing challenge than what is in truth, a really exciting opportunity.

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