CDS March Newsletter

Welcome to this month's CDS Newsletter,

The focus of this month's newsletter is upon legal structures for your sports club. 

Many clubs in Scotland are unincorporated (with no legal structure). This is a suitable setup for small members’ or amateur clubs with no significant assets, no interest in property and who do not employ staff, enter into contracts or other arrangements involving risk.

However, unincorporated clubs have no “legal personality” and therefore if someone wanted to raise legal action against the club, it would be raised against the individuals involved with running the club, rather than the club itself (see here for examples). 

This has prompted many clubs to consider incorporation, however, which legal structure to adopt can be a tricky task! The choices are plentiful and it can seem overwhelming deciding which option to take. It’s worth taking your time over the decision and making sure the structure you choose is right for your club, as each structure has its own strengths. 

To help clubs through this process, we have produced this guidance on legal structures. 

If you have any questions regarding any of the structures, or indeed would like support with the process of incorporation, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us by emailing andrew@clubdevelopment.scot. 

 

News & What We're Reading

Bohemians appoint first ever Climate Justice Officer

Football is set to tackle climate change as Bohemian FC has appointed club member Sean McCabe as their first Climate Justice Officer.

Aiming to be 'More Than A Club'

A really nice look at the great work that’s going on between football clubs, their charitable trusts and wider community organisations to ensure communities stay connected, safe and healthy during COVID19 in this month’s Third Force News here.

 

Non-financial reporting and sport

This recent Sustainability Report article reports on a growing trend in sport: non-financial, or sustainability, reporting. Governments are beginning to require organisations of a certain size to provide more in-depth sustainability-related data, and some big clubs are picking up the trend. For many clubs, the commitments and work are already there, but they don't know where to begin putting it down on paper.

So where do sport organisations begin their reporting process? What will they need to hit the ground running?

 

Forest Green Rovers hope recycled coffee kit will prove a good fit

Already in a league of their own when it comes to sustainability in sport, innovative English soccer club Forest Green Rovers will trial a kit made from coffee bean waste on Saturday.

 

 

Podcasts

Community Asset Transfers for Sports Clubs

In this podcast we were speaking to Stuart Haw, a PhD researcher looking at Community Asset Transfers in the sports sector. Community Asset Transfers are something you might already be familiar with, but equally, you might just be hearing about them for the first time. CATs are an opportunity for community organisations to apply for ownership or management of local authority-owned assets.

 

Climate change and Football

In this podcast, we talk to James Atkins (twitter.com/footballpsl) – the man behind Planet Super League, a football tournament that brings the family together to help the planet and your football club.

 

Grant Funding

Clubs can look to raise significant capital for funding through their own independent fundraising methods but often there are funders who support community projects and may make suitable funding partners for your project.

Here are some of the newest funds your club may be eligible to apply for.

If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch.

British Science Association - The Ideas Fund

The Ideas Fund is a grants programme run by the British Science Association and funded by Wellcome, which enables the UK public to develop and try out ideas that address problems related to mental wellbeing. It offers early stage grants and larger grants for established projects in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Device Refurbishment Support Fund

The Device Refurbishment Support Fund aims to support voluntary and community sector organisations with established device refurbishment and distribution programmes to build their capacity to get additional devices out to people unable to cover the purchase costs themselves.  

 

Fundraising

Fundraising is an important aspect of any club's success. Check out some ways you can raise valuable income here. If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch.

 

My Club Hub

Volunteering can be a busy and thankless task so whether it’s managing day to day duties or maintaining a compliant club, supported by nearly 250 design features, your time and effort needn’t be stretched with My Club Hub's membership and payment system. Get in touch for more information. 

SNAP Sponsorship Support

SNAP helps clubs promote sponsorship opportunities to a wider audience while sharing best practices when it comes to negotiating and securing sponsorship, all within one easy-to-use platform. Use the promo code "clubdevelopmentscotland" at checkout and enjoy 12 months of support for the price of 11 (+ keep 100% of your sponsorship)

Fundraising with Fantastic Fanatics

Fantastic Fanatics (FF) is a great new way to raise funds for your club, at no extra cost, when you shop, eat out, book hotels and lots more.

Clubs can sign up to the FF platform here and start earning money straight away - don't forget to select Club Development Scotland as your governing body for an extra 10% income. 

Our Club Lotto

Small club lotteries are a powerful and sustainable way for organisations to raise funds for their core activities or larger projects.

Decades of experience in administration, commercial operation and technical knowhow of local lotteries is combined to support your fundraising activities on a bespoke Our Club Lotto portal.

 

 

Resources For Your Club

 

Quantifying the economic and social impact of sport

The Social Return on Investment model developed by UEFA aims to demonstrate that an investment in grassroots football can generate positive societal impacts. 

Find out more about the methodology behind quantifying your clubs economic and social value here.

 

Legal Structures for your Sports Club

One of the most important choices you will make when forming your sports club is which legal structure to adopt. The choices are plentiful and it can seem overwhelming deciding which option to take. It’s worth taking your time over the decision and making sure the structure you choose is right for your club, as each structure has its own strengths. Check our guidance on it here.

Supporters Direct Newsletter February 2021

Welcome to the Scottish Supporters Network newsletter, brought to you by Supporters Direct Scotland. This newsletter aims to bring our members closer together and better informed of news and best practice from across the network.

Can't see images? Click here...

 

 

Scottish Football Utopia

 

Inspired by a civic research project in Ireland where citizens are asked to describe their vision of an ideal Ireland, we decided to ask the same question about Scottish football.

Visit the #ScottishFootballUtopia page here and tell us "In an ideal world, what would Scottish football look like?"

As the team behind Utopia Ireland say, "Don’t get hung up on what you think is sensible or even possible. These could be big ideas or small ones. Don’t worry about solving every problem or covering every aspect... This is an invitation to imagine and share your ideas for utopia ... and how we can get there. All answers are anonymous."

 

 

Lower leagues and women's football remain suspended

 

Recent speculation that SPFL League One and League Two might restart at the beginning of March is as yet unconfirmed. We believe that the decision to suspend these leagues, and every level of football beneath this as well as women's football, was done with the best of intentions but very poorly communicated.

This led to speculation that the bulk of football, where COVID-19 protection measures had been followed rigorously and there had been few cases of infection, had been sacrificed in response to high profile breaches by clubs in the two divisions that were allowed to continue. We recognise the importance of Scottish football's commercial relationships and that our game needs to protect these relationships, but we have long argued for full and early engagement of supporters in decisions affecting them. With workplaces, leisure activities and almost all social contact shut down, for many of us 90 minutes in front of a streaming services on a Saturday is one of the few breaks to the monotony of pandemic life.

With claims that club representatives' microphones were muted during SPFL discussions it appears that ours are not the only voices failing to be heard when decisions affecting us are being made.

 

 

Fans unite to oppose European Super League

 

Football Supporters Europe have this week released a statement, signed by a wide cross section of European fans, in opposition to the creation of a European Super League

"We are all united in our opposition to the creation of a European Super League—an unpopular, illegitimate, and dangerous scheme in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of fans.   

"It would destroy the European model of sport, which is based on commonly accepted principles such as sporting merit, promotion and relegation, qualification to European competitions via domestic success, and financial solidarity. In the process, it would also undermine the economic foundations of European football, concentrating even more wealth and power in the hands of a dozen or so elite clubs.

"We recognise that the game is in desperate need of broad reform. But proposals to this end must seek to revive the competitive balance in European competitions, protect domestic leagues, promote the interests of fans, and encourage fairer revenue distribution. A European Super League would achieve none of these objectives—quite the opposite."

Read the full statement on the FSE website.

 

 

SD Europe launch TRANSFER

 

We are delighted to be part of a new project designed to upskill SLOs and safety officers at clubs, national associations and leagues

SD Europe has announced the launch of TRANSFER (Transnational Football Exchange and Role-Sharing), a new two-year project designed to implement an EU Preparatory Action in the field of Exchanges and Mobility in Sport. This Preparatory Action aims to contribute to the development of sport organisations by supporting the learning mobility of their staff. Exchanges of people, ideas and good practices can be beneficial for individuals, for their organisations and for sport as a whole. The project is co-funded by the European Union and UEFA.

TRANSFER will invest in the professional development and capacity-building of supporter liaison officers (SLOs) and safety and security officers (SSOs) at clubs, national associations and leagues in six European countries through a novel programme of transnational exchange visits. Under the project, a minimum of 72 football club and governing body employees will benefit from the opportunity to undertake job-shadowing learning at their counterparts in the partner countries.

Partners:

  • Football Association of the Czech Republic (FACR)

  • English Premier League (EPL)

  • French Football League (LFP)

  • German Football League (DFL)

  • Scottish Football Association (SFA)

  • Supporters Direct Scotland (SD Scotland)

  • Football Association of Serbia (FSS)

Through a programme of exchange visits focused on the specific learning contexts of the countries and the club and governing body employees involved, the project expects to contribute to:

  1. improved matchday operations benefiting clubs and football supporters across Europe;

  2. more structural implementation of regular exchanges in SLO education in the participating countries and beyond, and

  3. an increased awareness of the integrated approach to safety, security, and service at football matches.

Read more about the TRANSFER project on the SD Europe website.

 

 

Support our 2021 Activities

 

Help us strengthen Scottish football

Like most organisations, the financial pressures on SD Scotland intensified during 2020, and posed a real threat to our ability to continue our work with supporters groups and grassroots sports clubs. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic we began re-thinking our business model, and were working to expand our commercial activities. Our goal was, and remains, to reduce our reliance on grant funding whilst continuing to advocate for greater supporter engagement and involvement in the governance of our clubs and of the national game.

However, the commercial environment has changed and this has impacted us significantly. We have therefore expanded our Patreon crowdfunding programme, and any contributions (as small or as large as you can afford) that you are able to make to our work will make a massive difference to us. We have introduced three new tiers, with merchandise featuring our "football without fans is nothing" graphic in order for us to recognise your contributions:

  • Bronze tier supporters (donating £5 per month) will receive a sticker

  • Silver tier supporters (donating £12.50 per month) will receive a coffee mug

  • Gold tier supporters (donating £20 per month) will receive a t-shirt

Patreon supporters automatically become Associate Members of SD Scotland:

  1. You’ll be joining a network of fans and supporters groups working to ensure that supporters' voices are heard and influence positive change within the game.

  2. Receive regular updates on issues affecting Scottish football and/or its fans.

  3. Get free access to our events such as Annual Supporters Summit.

  4. Get involved in the democratic structures of Supporters Direct Scotland as one of our three Associate Directors.

Sign up as a Patreon supporter here.

 

 

Tap Out to avoid Bet Regret

 

We wanted to remind you of BeGambleAware’s 'Tap Out For Time Out' campaign which can help you to avoid Bet Regret.

Bet Regret is the sinking feeling you get the minute you make a bet without thinking it through. Often when drunk, bored or chasing losses. It’s about avoiding those impulsive bets you kick yourself for as soon as you’ve made them. Extensive research validates that the action of tapping out helps you to avoid Bet Regret.

Always tap out for some time out: www.begambleaware.org/betregret

 

 

And finally...

 

Articles, podcasts and videos from the archive

As part of our objective to better connect fans, share best practice within Scottish sport, to promote supporter dialogue and promote sport clubs through which positive societal change can occur, here we share some relevant stories since our last newsletter.

  1. Premiership Should Have Goal-line Tech, We Need A Route For Lower Leagues & Fingers Crossed For Euro Fans

  2. SPFL Appeals, Partick Thistle Charitable Trust Success & Vaccine Hubs

  3. Five Players That Steve Clarke Should Look At Before Euro 2020

  4. Scottish Football Needs To Raise Spirits, More Women Playing & League Reconstruction Again

  5. Reviewing 2020!

  6. Queen Of The South Have Let Down Their Fans

 

After a long period of inactivity we have relaunched the SD Scotland podcast with a series of "Club Development Scotland meets..." interviews. Subscribe to our podcast feed to catch every new episode:

 

You can also check out our back catalogue of podcast episodes and subscribe to Behind The Goals using your favoured ‘podcatcher’ here, and subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

 

Looking Behind Us and to the Future!

It is that time of the year when you look back and have a resume of the previous twelve months and make a resolution for the incoming year.

Early 2020 found Thistle at the bottom of the table with a game in hand but as we all know that did not save us from relegation due to external events.

Covid-19 hit the UK in the first quarter of the year and football like many things in life came to a halt. This virus left none of us, including the Partick Thistle family, untouched. Our condolences go to all who have lost a loved one in 2020.

The Working Group continued to meet and seek the views and contributions of the supporters. There were regular updates to keep us up to speed with the developments.

Across the country fans financially supported their Clubs throughout the period of the pandemic, including Jags fans, even though they were unable to return to live games. Instead, their emotional lifejacket on a Saturday has been to listen to the commentary from the Jagzone guys and the home and away live streaming.

As we move forward into 2021 Partick Thistle are 5th in the table and striving for promotion in this shortened league, with only a further sixteen games to go.

The Working Group continues its work towards the full implementation and operation in 2021 of the vision of Colin Weir “Fan Ownership” of Partick Thistle.

Amazingly scientists have managed to create numerous vaccines in such a short period of time. The vaccine is being rolled out and hopefully that has a positive impact on the lives of those in Scotland and around the World.

It is to be hoped that the vaccination of the human race will aid a return to “normal life”. The impact could be to see football fans filling the stadiums around the world. Fingers crossed Jags fans get to sit in the stands at Firhill at some point this season but we may need to be patient and realistic. Hopefully by season 2021-22 we can follow the team home and away.

These positives give us hope that 2021 will be a better year for everyone.

The Jags Trust Board welcomes the Chairperson, Manager, Backroom Staff and Players of Clyde FC for today’s SPFL League 1 match at the Energy Check Stadium @Firhill.

As life is nowhere near back to normal, we send our regards to the Office Bearers and Members of the Clyde “The Bully Wee” Supporters Groups.

The Board of the Jags Trust wish you and yours a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Morag McHaffie, Chairperson

Partick Thistle Supporters Association “The Jags Trust” & Supporters Direct Scotland

SDS Newsletter - December 2020

Join us for a free sponsorship for your sports club masterclass webinar

Welcome to our December newsletter, 

Last week we were delighted to announce details of our first-ever webinar 'masterclass' in which we'll be discussing sponsorship for your sports club. 

Delivered in partnership with SNAP Sponsorship, this webinar (14th January 2021) will examine how community sports clubs can attract vital income through sponsorship. The webinar will walk attendees through Snap Sponsorship’s platform, provide practical suggestions on attracting sponsors and highlight some successful case studies from clubs in Scotland.

We are putting this newsletter out a little early this month because we're well aware Black Friday represents a prime opportunity for clubs in Scotland to raise some vital funds. With that in mind, we've pulled together a guide on 4 ways you can maximise your supporters' online spend. 

As always, please do get in touch if we can help the development of your club via our services, including support with club lotteries, incorporation, community asset transfers, gift aid, membership and payment systems and more. 

Best wishes,

The CDS Team

Grant Funding

 

Clubs can look to raise significant capital for funding through their own independent fundraising methods but often there are funders who support community projects and may make suitable funding partners for your project.

Here are some of the newest funds your club may be eligible to apply for.

If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch.

Silverhill Trust

Objectives of the Silverhill Trust are to promote the mental, physical and social development of young people in the UK, especially those in poor circumstances (the trustees generally regard young people as being under the age of 21).

How much can you apply for? Grants ranged from £3,000 to £20,000. The trustees policy is to make several large donations rather than many small ones.

Who can apply? The funder has not provided details of any exclusions.

Chance to Connect (Opening Soon)

Chance to Connect supports projects working in the areas of community development and citizenship, helping develop strong young adults. Examples of projects or activities aimed at young people they may fund include:  community based leisure and sporting programmes & local youth clubs and recreational activities

How much can you apply for? £25,000 (£14,754 is the average award)

Who can apply? Charities registered in Scotland

 

Fundraising

 

Fundraising is an important aspect of any club's success. Check out some ways you can raise valuable income here. If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch.

Clubs like you have raised £4 million with easyfundraising

Did you know that you could be raising free donations every time you and your supporters shop online?

The shop or site pays easyfundraising a percentage of what the shopper spends and easyfundraising turn that into the donation, so it doesn't cost anyone a penny extra.

Easyfundraising has helped clubs raise over £4 million in FREE donations. This extra funding is helping cover the cost of new kit, equipment and so much more!

SNAP Sponsorship Support

We have partnered with SNAP Sponsorship to make it easier for clubs to find, manage & grow sponsorships.

SNAP helps clubs promote their opportunities to a wider audience while sharing best practices when it comes to negotiating and securing sponsorship, all within one easy-to-use platform.

Plus, right now you can benefit from one month free. Simply use the promo code "clubdevelopmentscotland" at checkout and enjoy 12 months of support for the price of 11 (+ keep 100% of your sponsorship)

Clubs like you have raised £4 million with easyfundraising

Similarly to Easy Fundraising, Top Cashback is cashback site. There’s no join fee and no catches so whenever you visit an online store via your Top Cashback account, you can be earning your club valuable funds.

What’s more, if you’ve friends and family who want to buy something from a shop but don’t want a Top Cashback account then simply email them one of a Top Cashback link via your account and the club will earn the referral fee. 

There’s a huge range of merchants on the site including Soccer Box, Kitbag, Nike, Sports Direct and JD sports.

Our Club Lotto

Small club lotteries are a powerful and sustainable way for organisations to raise funds for their core activities or larger projects.

However, running a club lottery is time-consuming and has to be done properly. Our Club Lotto can provide the easy, low risk and low administration solution to the normally costly and time-consuming process of setting up and running a local lottery for your club.

Decades of experience in administration, commercial operation and technical knowhow of local lotteries is combined to support your fundraising activities on a bespoke Our Club Lotto portal.

 

Resources For Your Club

4 Ways Your Club Can Raise Funds This Black Friday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday reign supreme when it comes to grabbing great value deals. Originally a single day and now a month-spanning deal frenzy, you can get technology, games, gym kit, trainers and so much more at a price that you’re actually willing to pay.

This year, retailers won’t be holding back on their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. So make sure your club is ready to earn some valuable income from supporters. Here’s everything you need to know.

TFN's Guide to Running A Charity or Social Enterprise is out now!

Third Force New’s Guide to Running A Charity or Social Enterprise 2020/21 is out now – and you can read it here!

In it, a group of experts from across the sector look at how we work in the face of the pandemic – and offer all sorts of advice for a range of related topics, from home working, to Zoom meetings, to looking after mental health.

The publication is packed with advice and information to help both staff and organisations to survive - and thrive! 

What We're Reading

 

Here's a selection of stories from our world and beyond. Simply click the picture to read the full story. 

James Anderson Nominated for Fan of the Year

James Anderson has been nominated by FIFA for their FIFA Fan Award, after his generosity in supporting Scottish football, this year.

Dundee United Community Trust’s work earns Europe-wide recognition as Tangerines receive prestigious Uefa award

Dundee United have received a prestigious award from European football governing body Uefa for their work in the community.

Munster's €1.7m spend on coaching worth €30m in social value

For every euro invested in coaching Gaelic games in Munster in 2019, there was a return of almost €17.

That was the headline finding in the latest analysis of investment and return in coaching and games development in the province, conducted by Repucon Consulting, who used Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology to come to their conclusions.

How We Can Help Your Club

SDS Newsletter - November 2020

SD Scotland AGM

 Our AGM will be held on Sunday 22nd November at 12 noon.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on face-to-face meetings, we will hold the AGM online for the first time, but still hope to have a great conversation with our members and are lining up some external presenters to share news from other parts of our network.

Details of the AGM were sent to our member organisations and individual Associate members last week. If you have not received yours please contact us at info@supporters-direct.scot

 

A gradual return to supporting has begun!

Last night saw the first glimmer of hope for Scottish fans, with 300 fans allowed in to watch the draw between Ross County and Livingston.

With most of the country still classified as Level 2 or 3, this is only possible in Highland, Moray, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland for now - but hope that more regions soon move into Level 1 with them. Last night's match was deemed a great success, and Ross County, along with their highland neighbours, will see this as an important first step back for their fans.

We are keen to see fans return as soon as is safely possible, and have questioned the "one size fits all" approach within each local protection level. The risks to supporters are different at each football ground, and at each tier of our national game - at lower levels where there is greater opportunity for physical distancing we believe that it may be possible to let fans in sooner, and that supporting your local team can be an important way of reducing social isolation for fans. 

 

BeGambleAware

 

With all of the Scottish senior leagues and the league cup now under way - together with almost continuous top level football outside of Scotland - we wanted to remind you of BeGambleAware’s latest campaign which asks bettors to tap out of their betting app for some time out and avoid Bet Regret.

Bet Regret is the sinking feeling you get the minute you make a bet without thinking it through. Often when drunk, bored or chasing losses. It’s about avoiding those impulsive bets you kick yourself for as soon as you’ve made them. Extensive research validates that the action of tapping out helps you to avoid Bet Regret.

The campaign continues to run across TV, radio, digital and is being supported on social by Ladbible until the end of the month. To further support the campaign there are two new assets running across social channels which include famous WWE stars The Big Show and Kurt Angle encouraging bettors to always tap out of the app to avoid Bet Regret. To view the assets, click here.

Check out the new campaign and watch Barry and Dave learn the value of always tapping out for some time out here: www.begambleaware.org/betregret

 

Corporation Tax for Community Benefit Societies

We have prepared a guidance note for member trusts of Supporters Direct Scotland which are incorporated as Community Benefit Societies, as there is a common misconception that CBSs are not liable to pay corporation tax. This note seeks to explain the true position.

The note is general in nature and does not aspire to address the individual circumstances of all trusts and so members should exercise appropriate caution when acting on the guidance set out within it, and should obtain professional advice if further clarification of corporation tax rules applicable to their circumstances is needed.

The guidance note can be downloaded here.

  

And finally...

 

Articles, podcasts and videos from the archive

As part of our objective to better connect fans, share best practice within Scottish sport, to promote supporter dialogue and promote sport clubs through which positive societal change can occur, here we share some relevant stories from the recent months.

  1. Ross County’s Fans Return Gives Us All Hope

  2. Remembering Hearts Hero Marius Zaliukas

  3. Putting A Price On Democracy

  4. SPFL/SFA Need To Be Smarter When Arguing To Bring Fans Back

  5. Can We Have A Government Help Out Scheme For Lower League Football?

  6. Europa Success, League Cup Crisis & An Innovative Twitch

  7. Fans Still Need To Be Patient Despite This Weekends Pilot Events

  8. We Need To Support Oli McBurnie!

  9. SD Scotland join BeGambleAware as a partner for Safer Gambling

  10. Dunfermline Athletic to be acquired by German investment group

 

You can also check out our back catalogue of podcast episodes and subscribe to Behind The Goals using your favoured ‘podcatcher’ here.

The First Jags Trust Chair first Grandchild - Rachael is a Jag!

Sadly, the home page of The Club has featured the loss of a number of Jags Fans over the last few months.

Here's one for the other side of the coin.  

 

On 20 September 1988, at the age of 38 minutes, Fiona Harvey was registered as a member of the Junior Jags.

Today (04/10/20), Fiona and partner Richard McGraddie welcomed their daughter Rachael Eilidh McGraddie to the world.

We look forward to welcoming Rachael to Firhill in the footsteps of her Mother, Grandmother (Maggie Forsyth) and late Grandfather (Derek Harvey).

Supporters Direct Scotland Newsletter - August

How can a sports club go green?

 

There are lots of ways a sports club can make a positive difference in its efforts to go green. Sounds good but what does that mean in reality?

It’s about being more environmentally-friendly, using sustainable products, reducing your carbon footprint and lessening the negative impact your club has on the planet.

If all of that feels overwhelming or unrealistic, it doesn’t have to be. Whatever steps your club chooses to take today, it wasn’t doing it yesterday – so you’re off to a start!

One approach to take is to consider how your club, members and supporters can: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Here are some ideas, you might be doing a few already or it could spark a conversation and lead to a new initiative.

Recycling sports kit

Sports clubs have all manner of processes that could potentially incorporate recycling and there are lots of organisations that can signpost resources (see here). 

Saying No to Plastic

Thanks to documentaries like BBC Blue Planet II and many other pieces of research, the scourge of plastic pollution is more apparent than ever before - and we can all do our bit. 

Reducing carbon emissions

According to the Committee on Climate Change, the majority of carbon emissions in the UK comes from energy production and consumption. That could be boiling a kettle for a brew or driving a car to a match.

Support local

The distance food and other products have to travel to get to us can be astonishing and all those miles travelled are polluting the planet. A major way to reduce that is by shopping locally and supporting businesses on a sport club’s doorstep.

So, there you go, some ideas on going green that clubs can implement. You can read more detail on all of this on our website. 

 

 

Funding

 

Here are some funding opportunities your club may want to consider applying to. If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch.

 

Clubs and teams like you have raised £4 million with easyfundraising

Easyfundraising has helped clubs and teams like yours raise over £4 million in FREE donations. This extra funding is helping cover the cost of new kit, equipment, running costs and so much more!

Tescos Bags of Help

Bags of Help is Tesco’s local community grant scheme where the money raised by the carrier bag charge in Tesco stores is being used to fund thousands of community projects. The projects must meet the criteria of bringing benefits to the community. Grants of up to £2,000 are available.

 

 

Our Services

 

Here are some funding opportunities your club may want to consider applying to. If you're looking for support with your fundraising, get in touch about our specialist support.

 

 

 

 

Resources

 

Research to recruit, retain and realise the potential of volunteers.

The Sport and Recreation Alliance have distilled insights into a simple framework to help grassroots clubs and organisations recruit, retain and realise the potential of volunteers.

Set your organisation a world apart from the rest with expert risk management guidance

Inspired by the processes of NASA, the Alliance Governance Team explore the ins and outs of risk management that will help your organisation expect the best and be prepared for the worst.

 

 

News, Ideas & Opinions

 

Here's a selection of stories from our world and beyond that might give your club some ideas for new activities or programmes.

 

How sports clubs can rebuild post-lockdown

Are sports clubs open? It's the question on everyone's lips (and in their Google searches).

Sports clubs, of all shapes and sizes, face a huge challenge in the coming months, as we look ahead to the return of some kind of relative normality.

Of course, it’s worth emphasising that playing club sport is being done in phases, differently in each country and in line with Government advice. Please check carefully.

Front and centre will be the financial future of your club and how to encourage members back to play, socialise and support.

So, here are some website-related ideas to help sports clubs get ready for that all-important green light.

 

‘Let’s create something unique to Scotland’

CURRENT Scotland coaches Gregor Townsend and Shelley Kerr view community and school sport as central to the nation’s recovery from COVID-19 and the health of Scotland.

Both Kerr and Townsend took on their current roles as Scotland women’s football head coach and Scotland men’s rugby head coach respectively in 2017, and the duo this week joined the Observatory for Sport in Scotland’s latest ‘OSS Supporters Meeting’, via Zoom, to discuss their journeys and challenges with COVID-19.

On the challenges post-COVID-19, the national coaches agreed sports working together was going to be crucial to helping communities recover.

 

Sport for Scotland’s older generation on the up?

New research has suggested that many more of Scotland’s older population are taking up sport as they near or enter retirement than was previously believed.

With the advent of walking sports, netball and rugby latching on to the success of ‘Walking Football’ to inspire engagement among the older population, and growth of Park Runs and JogScotland events, there has been a growing belief that Scotland’s trend of ongoing decline in sport from the teenage years may finally be uncovering a very welcome spike. A new study conducted in 2019 would appear to back this up, at least in some sports and parts of Scotland.

- Read more here.

 

Most Of Scotland’s Leisure Centres ‘May Never Re-Open’ Due To Covid-19

The long-term impact of COVID-19’s lockdown is starting to emerge in Scotland with concerns rising that most of Scotland’s sport and leisure facilities will not re-open.

Scotland’s sporting infrastructure relies heavily on community facilities owned by local authorities and managed, in most areas, by leisure trusts. Most trusts have suffered annual reductions in council investment for the past 15 years and some facilities were earmarked for closure pre-COVID. Now, having lost five months of income due to lockdown and facing forecasts of reduced income at least through 2021 due to so social distancing, it is understood that several operators can no longer fund the staffing and maintenance of key sport facilities.

Supporters Direct Scotland Newsletter - July

With the return of the Premiership just over a week away, shortened lower league seasons due to start in October, the 2019/20 Scottish Cup Final rescheduled for December 20th, and the men's and women's national teams having a busy run of fixtures ahead of them, it's a massive relief to see that top-level football is back.

Outside of the SPFL and in grassroots and recreational football the picture is less clear, but we are hopeful that Phase 4 of the Scottish Government's loosening of lockdown will bring some good news for the tens thousands of people across the country who would usually be playing football every week.

For supporters though, there is still no clarity about when we will be allowed to return to the stands and terraces. We have been working hard behind the scenes throughout lockdown to help ensure that the needs of supporters are given priority by the game's decision makers, and have forged some great relationships through these conversations. It has been encouraging to see the whole of Scottish football working to the same principles - that our safety and welfare is paramount, and that our return to spectating is managed carefully and responsibly.

Today's news that the Scotland men's team fixture against Israel might be used as test event is an important step in our return. With this Nation's League fixture being a dress rehearsal for our Euro 2020 play-off semi-final a month later, it feels that there's more than a half chance of a decent crowd being able to support the team through this hugely important fixture - and the final which will hopefully follow it in November.

We have also advocated for each stadium being assessed individually, to ensure that every club is able to bring as many supporters as possible back, as safely as possible, and as quickly as possible. Simplistic approaches to this - along the lines we have seen in other countries where capacities have been reduced by the same percentage at every stadium - run the risk of putting cash before safety. SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell's preference for each stadium holding test events is welcomed, and while some of us may be frustrated that other leagues are re-starting before us, and bringing fans back sooner than us, we strongly believe that Scottish football should do this right, rather than doing it too quickly and putting our welfare at risk.

 

 

Scottish football fans need to stick together

 

With every twist in the conclusion of the 2019/20 season - from proposals and counter-proposals being put to the 42 SPFL clubs, court hearings, arbitration and now disciplinary action - the supporters have been bystanders. But increasingly we have been drawn into the dispute... in discussion forums, social media, and over the last couple of weeks in socially-distanced pub debates. We all love our clubs, and want to back them up, but we were never asked how we wanted the season to finish - and we must not allow this to divide us.

When football resumes our attention should be on the 22 players on the field, rather than the arcane rulebooks that govern our game.

 

Greenock Morton on course to become a fan-owned club

 

Earlier this month, fans group Morton Club Together struck a landmark agreement with the Rae family to take over majority shareholding from their company Golden Casket.

The takeover is scheduled to take place next summer, and will see the club sold to Morton Club Together for a nominal fee, with ownership of Cappielow remaining with Golden Casket, who will write off the club's debt in its entirety.

A key feature of this deal is that Morton Club Together will spend the next year working closely with the club's board and staff to fully understand the intricacies of the club's business, with each party gaining confidence that this deal will be the best way forward for the club. This is a path that several other clubs have followed, and that we've characterised as 'structured transitions' towards supporter ownership. The fans' groups at Motherwell, Hearts and St Mirren have all worked alongside individual owners in this way, demonstrating that securing supporter ownership can be, in the words of Greenock Morton chairman Crawford Rae, the final act of devotion to their club.

 

 

SD Scotland Membership Renewals Underway

 

The SD Scotland membership renewal process began at the start of this month, and we are delighted to see existing members renewing, as well as welcoming new members.

Membership is open to any democratically constituted supporters group or community owned club for £50 per year, and can be done easily via GoCardless. Individuals can join as associate members by signing up to our Patreon programme.

We are currently making plans for our AGM, which has been delayed due to the lockdown restrictions. It is still unclear whether we will be able to do this with a face-to-face event, but will finalise details and communicate these to members during August.

 

 

News from Europe

 

Fans' organisations from across Europe call for involvement in the future of football

Our partners across Europe, through the umbrella organisation Football Supporters Europe, called for supporter involvement in three core pillars:

  • The safe return of supporters

  • A recognition that the contribution made by fans is irreplaceable

  • Multi-stakeholder dialogue on the future of football

You can read more about these priorities here.

 

Returning to football: an SLO's experience

We look forward, once the COVID-19 lockdown is behind us, to bringing the UEFA Academy's SLO training programme (facilitated by SD Europe) to Scotland. We have a particularly active and well-established SLO network here in Scotland, and our connections to this work across the continent are hugely beneficial to supporter engagement in Scotland.

SD Europe's head of SLO training, Lena Gustafson-Wiberg, recently wrote about her experiences as SLO for Djurgårdens IF and the Swedish national team here. 

 

 

Club Development Scotland - building clubs that win for everyone

 

Although Covid-19 may have put a temporary stop to playing football, our Club Development Scotland work has continued throughout the lock down period. CDS, the consultancy arm of SD Scotland, develops resources and provides a range of services for community sports clubs of all shapes and sizes.

During the lockdown, we’ve been continuing to advise clubs on a range of matters including financial support available to them while their activities (and potentially income) are on hold - you can access this advice here. We’ve also been pleased to support the roll out of Our Club Lotto, a fundraising lottery that can be tailor suited to your club to help raise vital funds during this difficult time.

We’ve also been making the most of the lockdown to support clubs with a range of services including assisting and advising on club constitutions, legal structures, gift aid and charitable status. If you’d like to find out more how we could help you grow a winning club, get in touch or subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.clubdevelopment.scot/about/newsletters.

 

 

Think Twice Or You’ll Bet Regret It

 

We know that many of you will be at home, potentially struggling to fill the time, feeling a little isolated or anxious. In these times we’ll often turn to various forms of distraction to help the day pass, but placing risky impulsive bets shouldn’t be one of them.

In these difficult times the safer gambling message is perhaps more important than ever. Please remember to Think Twice or You’ll Bet Regret It.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or worried about your gambling at the moment the National Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 8020 133 for free, confidential advice and support.

 

 

And finally...

 

Articles, podcasts and videos from the archive

As part of our objective to better connect fans, share best practice within Scottish sport, to promote supporter dialogue and promote sport clubs through which positive societal change can occur, here we share some relevant stories from the past month.

  1. Getting Excited About Scottish Football Again

  2. Tartan Army Should Welcome Lyndon Dykes If He Chooses Scotland

  3. It’s Time Scottish Football Embraced The Rooney Rule

  4. SPFL Could’ve Respected Pyramid System Had They Promoted Brora Rangers & Kelty Hearts

  5. Clubs Urged To Do The Right Thing

  6. Killie Hitting The Right Notes On Social Media

  7. Permanent League Reconstruction Finally Up For Debate

  8. Saluting James Anderson’s Wonderful Gesture

  9. To B Or Not To B Team?

  10. Everyone At Every Level Will Be Desperate To See A Return To Football