The Terrace – the saviour of football retail?

Founded in 2018, The Terrace has become one of the fastest growing sporting retail companies in the industry.

The organisation’s company ethos is “more than just an order number” and their hands-on interaction with fans is proving to be a hit so far.

In their first 17 months of operation, the company has sold over 10,000 units of merchandise to a worldwide customer base.

Seen by over five million people worldwide each month, The Terrace have also entered licensed partnerships with various Premier League and English Football League clubs.

“We are delighted to partner with The Terrace to bring supporters a fantastic range of official licensed retro products,” Sean Davies – the retail and licensing director for Fulham FC, told FC Business.

“The Terrace team have been great to work alongside and this exciting new licensing partnership is one we expect to grow and develop quickly over the coming season.”

So, what is the secret behind their rapid growth? To put it simply, the products that they produce are innovative, creative and appealing to a broad market.

For example, one look at their online store will show retro West Ham merchandise, ranging from pint glasses to Santa sacks, as well as couch cushions designed from previous kits in the club’s history.

In what can be quite a stale market with extremely similar templates across the board, The Terrace has created something fresh.

The clubs they are in partnership with continue to benefit from these diverse product designs.

“Many of our fans will be familiar with The Terrace brand already and it’s great to be able to endorse a range of quality products with an official partnership,” said director of retail operations at Ipswich Town, Lee Hyde. “It’s a very exciting licensing partnership for both parties; one I can see growing quickly.”

The organisation’s plan is to further improve a sports retail industry that has stalled, by giving customers a larger array of options.

An in-house design team bring their nostalgic ideas to life through an exceptional eye for detail, which give fans the chance to reminisce about their sporting teams’ favourite moments through kit culture.

The Terrace operates a print on demand service for customers wanting to buy merchandise. As a result of this, there is no stock risk or potential for wasted investment.

The products provided, such as phone cases, blanket throws and towels are items club shops don’t invest heavily in or stock. This is therefore an attractive proposition for clubs to partner with the company, to help them fill a gap.

The Terrace director Carl Swell states: “The Terrace has become a successful and trusted retail platform for fans, but from the very start, Paul [co-director] and I have firmly stood by the principle that you can still earn a living whilst remaining loyal to your core values; those being that sport is a community, a passion, and a lifestyle.

“That’s why we proudly became a charity partner to CALM, the men’s suicide prevention charity, to help raise money through sales for such a worthy cause; sponsor grassroots football teams, from supplying kits to installing much-needed improvements at grounds; and sponsoring fan-led ventures as much as we can. As part of a community, we look after our customers because they look after us.”

This year the company aims to increase the volume of sales for the 20,000 unique visitors they have on a weekly basis. Faster delivery times are also a strong focus, refining the customer experience.

They hope to at least double their licensed portfolio by the second quarter of the year, opening the door to all sporting clubs that are interested. With the success they’ve had so far, it would be hard to believe they would be short of any suitors.

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Off the Pitch Podcast: Manny Spanoudakis on Cisco Systems

In episode seven of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch podcast, St George City FA Head Coach and Regional General Manager at Cisco Manny Spanoudakis joins the show to talk about his role at Cisco, as well as his experience and philosophy in coaching.

As the Regional General Manager for the Sports & Entertainment Solutions Group at Cisco, Spanoudakis is responsible for developing, leading and executing strategy in the Asia Pacific, Japan and China region.

Cisco is a global tech leader that’s helping organisations stay connected and secure in today’s AI-driven world.

For over 40 years, Cisco has played a key role in safely connecting people and businesses around the globe.

Spanoudakis spoke about his experience working on a range of stadiums and venues across Australia as a part of his role at the company.

“I guess if we just focus on the Australian market, there’s been an abundance of projects we’ve been very fortunate to have great success with,” he said on the podcast.

“If I start in Perth, I guess, and work my way east off the stadium is a major project, then we’re just doing a major refresh there after the original opening in 2018, Adelaide Oval, another major customer of ours.

“The Melbourne Cricket Ground just underwent significant and is still undergoing significant technology upgrades, it’s a project and a customer we’ve worked on for well over a decade.

“Marvel Stadium, the Melbourne Olympic Park precinct, the VRC in Flemington, Kardinia Park and GMHBA Stadium and Melbourne Racing Club, so there’s a very strong, we have a very strong customer base in Melbourne.”

Although his role as Regional General Manager at Cisco keeps him busy, Spanoudakis still finds time to pursue coaching and currently serves as the head coach at St George City FA.

Spanoudakis reflected on his early start in coaching—once the youngest coach in the league—and explained how his philosophy was deeply influenced by his upbringing and his father’s passion for football.

“When I transitioned into coaching, I was still relatively young,” he continued to say.

“It’s funny because I was talking to someone the other day that when I started coaching first grade in the NPL, NPL 1, I guess, or whatever the equivalent is in Victoria, the NPL, I was the youngest coach in the league in 2001 and now I think I’m the oldest coach in the league.

“But my coaching philosophy and my principles were very much shaped by my upbringing.

“I listened to Ange and people of my generation talk about the influence parents and fathers had and my dad was a footballer, was a very, very knowledgeable student of the game, so that shaped my upbringing.”

To learn more about his role at Cisco, listen to the full interview with Manny Spanoudakis on episode seven of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast – available on all major podcasting apps.

AFC Youth Online Session Champions Emotional Wellbeing

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reaffirmed its strong commitment to the success of Asian teams with the delivery of the AFC Youth Online Session 2025, held on Thursday.

Nearly 120 participants from 41 Member Associations (MAs) took part in the session, which kicked off with an update on the highly regarded AFC Elite Youth Scheme—currently endorsed by 27 member nations.

Chaired by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the virtual session delved into two key focus areas: supporting academies and youth coaches in developing and managing talented young footballers, and strengthening elite youth development programs across the region.

Following Australia’s victory at the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 earlier this year, the session also included a special discussion with Trevor Morgan, Head Coach of the championship-winning squad. Morgan offered valuable insights into the team’s journey to success, touching on everything from his coaching philosophy to the preparation and planning that led up to the tournament.

“My mantra is always to instill a mentality among youngsters where they’re not scared to make positive mistakes and not be punished for it,” he said via press release.

“We always encourage the players to play an open game and be unpredictable, which worked out well for Australia as the team scored in a variety of ways and did not just depend on set pieces.”

With the Young Socceroos also taking out the tournament’s Fair Play Award, Morgan spoke further on key topics such as player discipline, building team unity, adapting communication to better connect with younger players, and managing the emotional pressures of high-stakes competition.

Morgan’s session paved the way for the next speaker, Aspire Academy’s Maria Ruiz de Ona, who emphasised the importance of youth coaches developing emotional intelligence, empathy, and effective communication skills.

Building on these points, the Qatar Football Association’s Fahad Abdulla Al Zarraa stressed the importance of embedding emotional intelligence into coach education programs to foster stronger, more positive player-coach relationships. The evening concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where participants actively shared questions and reflections.

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