How to start a football club: your step-by-step guide

 

Though it’s the most popular sport played around the world, football’s undoubted home is the UK, and the national game is as big now as it’s ever been. In fact, the last time the FA counted the numbers, more than 11 million people were playing football in England, with 8.2 million adults and 3.35 million children out on the pitch—roughly one in five people in the country!

If you’re a fan of the beautiful game, starting your own football club is an excellent way to participate in the sport and help others do so, too. But, whether you’re looking to start a Sunday league club with your mates, a team in a work league, a more serious non-league outfit, or a children’s football club, it takes work. Starting a football club includes plenty of planning, organisation, and a commitment to building something sustainable.

In this blog, we’ll talk through every essential step of how to start a football club in the UK, from choosing your club’s name and identity to dealing with funding, administration and matchday logistics. We’ll also explore what it takes to run a club successfully once it’s up and running to make sure it lasts.

 

Starting a football club

 

Step 1: Define your club's purpose and level

Before getting into the details of your new club, you first need to be clear on what kind of football your club will be playing. Will it be a recreational Sunday league team that plays for fun? Are you setting your sights on joining the English football league system? Will it be a children’s football team? Will it be for men, women, or both?

Deciding on this in the early stages will impact the structure, costs, club goals, league affiliation, and expectations of everyone involved. Ideally, you should write a charter for your club that outlines what kind of football you’ll play, who can join in, and the club’s goals.

 

Step 2: Choose a club name, colours, and crest

Every football club needs its own identity. Here's where you get to create yours.

Club name

Pick something unique, memorable and meaningful. It might reflect your local area, a cultural reference, or an idea of community and strength. Before committing, check that the name isn’t already in use by another registered team in your area or league.

Colours and kit

Your club colours will become part of its DNA. Choose a primary colour and a contrasting secondary one for your home and away kits. Look at other teams in your local area to avoid duplication.

Club crest

A good crest visually encapsulates your club’s ethos and roots. Whilst you can design your own using online tools, commissioning a graphic designer, especially one with expertise in crests, will produce a more professional look. Make sure the crest scales well for social media, kits, and merchandise.

 

Step 3: Form a committee

Running a club is a group effort. Even small teams need some form of leadership and structure to ensure they’re well run, that the workload is spread, and that people are accountable for the tasks that need to be handled.

The key roles you should look to fill include:

• Chairperson: To oversee the club's overall direction and governance.
• Secretary: To manage communication with other bodies and handle the club's admin.
• Treasurer: Responsible for the club's finances.
• Manager/coach: To manage the team, including organising training, team selection, playstyle, and match day tactics.

Other roles to consider include:

• Welfare Officer: Ensures child protection standards are met (this is essential for youth teams).
• Team Doctor/Physiotherapist: If you have access to health professionals who want to be involved in the club, you can make sure they're included in a more official capacity.
• Social Media/Communications Offer: You may have a social media expert who wants to be involved, who can help promote the club online and engage with supporters.

 

Step 4: Register with a County FA and join a league

You’ll need to register your club with your local County Football Association. This affiliation gives your club official status and eligibility to join a sanctioned league.

After registration, you can apply to join a league appropriate for your level—be it a local Sunday league, youth league, or a Step 6/7 non-league competition. League organisers will guide you through the application process, which may involve a review of your facilities and club structure.

 

Step 5: Find a home ground

Securing a home venue is one of the biggest practical challenges you’ll face when starting a football club. You won’t be building your own stadium yet (let’s not get ahead of ourselves), but you’ll need a location where you’ll play your home fixtures.

Your best options for a home ground include:

• Local council-owned pitches
• School or college fields
• Sports centres
• Ground-sharing with an existing club

For non-league or semi-pro ambitions, your ground will need to meet specific league criteria (like changing rooms, fencing, and seating). Council pitches are the most common starting point and can usually be hired for the season.

Be sure to factor pitch hire costs into your finances, and any tasks you’ll need to carry out, like matchday preparation and responsibilities such as maintaining facilities.

 

Step 6: Purchase your kits and equipment

Your team will need plenty of gear, including home and away kits, training wear, balls, cones, bibs, and more. It can be a lot, though, so start with the essentials:

• Full matchday kits (shirts, shorts, socks)
• Goalkeeper kit
• Substitutes' bibs
• Match balls and training balls
• First aid kit
• Corner flags and matchday signage (as required by some leagues)

You could look for a sponsor to cover the cost of your kit, or approach kit manufacturers and retailers who offer grassroots team discounts.

 

Step 7: Insurance

Having the right insurance in place can help protect and support you, your club, your players, and local members of the community should something go wrong. You should check with your County FA for the exact insurance requirements you have to meet.

 

Step 8: Register your players and coaches

All your players must be registered with your league and County FA, and each league should have its own registration portal with deadlines.

For youth teams, you’ll also have to ensure your coaches are DBS checked and qualified to the appropriate FA level. It’s still wise for adult teams to have at least one coach with an FA Level 1 badge (now replaced by the Introduction to Coaching Football course).

 

Step 9: Secure your finding and sponsorship

So, how much does it cost to start a football club in England or the rest of the UK? The exact cost of founding and running your own football club will vary depending on the kind of club. A work team in a five-a-side league, a Sunday league side, or a non-league football club with aspirations of climbing the tables will all involve different levels of funding.

However, all football clubs will involve the same basic costs to get up and running, like paying for kits and equipment, County FA affiliation, league registration, referee fees, and pitch hire. These can typically range from £1,500 to £4,500 per year. However, for teams with larger scopes and bigger aspirations, annual costs could exceed £10,000, and can quickly rise higher from there.

With costs for even small clubs potentially running into the thousands, securing sustainable funding is vital for your club’s long-term prosperity. Funding options you can consider include:

• Membership fees: Ask players to pay a yearly fee or weekly subs.
• Sponsorship: Approach local businesses for kit or matchday sponsorship.
• Fundraising: Host community events, raffles, or crowdfunding campaigns.
• Grants: Apply for support from organisations like the Football Foundation or Sport England.

 

Running your football club once you've launched

Starting your football club is just the beginning. Running it sustainably and successfully is where the real challenge lies. But if you can crack this, you can create a lasting legacy that brings football to the lives of people in your local community.

Try to focus on:

 

1. Sound financial management

As well as working to secure the funding you need to make sure your club is viable, keep accurate records of your income and general expenses. Use basic accounting software or spreadsheets to manage your accounts.

Transparency will be key here, especially if you rely on fundraising or grants.

 

2. Continuous player recruitment

Even if you begin with a full squad, continued player recruitment is vital, as you’ll naturally lose players to injuries or anyone leaving the club long-term.

As well as encouraging word-of-mouth recruitment, you can find ways to advertise for players in your local community, too, including in your local paper, with physical flyers on notice boards, and on social media. You can also try online services like PlayerWanted.co.uk or UK Football Finder.

 

3. Slick matchday operations

Get your matchday tasks—like confirming fixtures and timings in advance, making sure the kits and other gear are ready, setting up the pitch, and collecting subs (if applicable)—down to a fine art. Assign clear responsibilities for who’s in charge of what, and monitor and improve things until it all happens like clockwork.

 

4. Effective training sessions

Regular and effective training is the foundation of any successful team. Training builds fitness, sharpens skills, builds team cohesion, and forms a sense of shared morale and spirit.

Make sure you secure a venue where your team can train and that regular, structured, productive training sessions are a respected part of your players’ routines.

 

5. Ambition and growth

Teams thrive when given the right goals. So, set targets for each season, like promotion, a cup run, or finishing safely above relegation. Celebrate successes and keep a focus on the future to foster a sense of momentum and continuous growth.

 

Starting a football club FAQs

 

How much does it cost to start a football club in England?

This will vary depending on the type of football club, but you should expect to pay anywhere from £1,500 to £4,500+ per year for a grassroots team, with higher costs for non-league setups.

 

Can anyone start a football club?

Yes, as long as they’re prepared to handle the organisation, admin, and financial responsibility, anyone can start a football club in the UK.

 

How do I get my team into a league?

You must register your club with your County FA and then apply to a local league. Applications usually open in spring or early summer for the following season.

 

What's the difference between Sunday league and non-league football?

Sunday league is generally recreational and grassroots, while non-league refers to semi-professional levels in the National League System below League Two.

 

How to start a non-league football club?

You’ll need to follow all the standard steps of setting up a club, like choosing a name, registering with your County FA, securing funding, and a home ground, plus you’ll also need to meet the requirements of the National League System. This includes having a suitable ground that meets FA ground grading standards, developing a formal club structure (including a written constitution), and ensuring proper financial management.

 

Specialist community and sports club insurance through Ripe

As fun and rewarding as managing an adult or junior football club can be, there are many potential risks you’ll need to consider – from safeguarding children to paying for venue hire.

Sporting club, leisure and community insurance coming soon to Ripe is designed to protect against these risks so you can manage your football club with confidence and peace of mind you’ll be covered should anything unexpected happen.