Club Development Scotland - August Newsletter

News & What We're Reading

Free 'Equality through Sport' workshop provision for sports clubs across Scotland

Our friends at the Fair Play Foundation have provision to deliver 50 'equality through sport' workshops to clubs across Scotland. 

If you run a sports club, coach at your local team or volunteer with a sports organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

The workshops are delivered at a time and location convenient to your club for what should be an enjoyable, thought provoking and hopefully a stimulating experience for all involved.

"I've attended the Colours of our Scarves workshop a few times now and find it extremely beneficial and informative. It has been a great Continued Professional Development tool for our developing coaches increasing confidence and challenging hate behaviours" - Nichola Sturrock, Spartans FC. 

Annual Deaths Due To Physical Inactivity Still Outstrip Covid

More people are still dying every year around the world due to physical inactivity than have been killed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

That is one of the stark facts reported in the latest three-paper series published by The Lancet medical journal as researchers call for urgent action to increase physical activity, particularly to arrest adolescent decline. It reports that global efforts to improve physical activity have stalled, with overall deaths caused by physical activity remaining at more than 5 million people, per year. 

Community coaching structure expected to be severely hit by COVID

Research commissioned by the Sport and Recreation Alliance has shown that several organisations are expected to lose a significant number of their paid coaching workforce as physical activity re-emerges from lockdown.

 

Funding For Your Club

'Clubs in Crisis' fund

The Clubs in Crisis Fund re-opened on the 23rd July.

The Clubs in Crisis Fund from Made by Sport supports sports clubs and organisations delivering sport for development that have been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is a national fund being delivered locally by community foundations across the UK. Foundation Scotland is distributing all funding across Scotland.

The fund aims to support sports clubs and youth organisations that deliver sport for development to recover from the pandemic's impact, and continue their work to achieve social outcomes through sport.

Specifically, the fund is looking to support clubs and organisations that intentionally deliver wider social outcomes through sport.

These outcomes must fall into one or more of the following categories: - Developing Life Skills - Improving Mental Health - Reducing Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour - Developing Employability Skills - Building Stronger Communities Funding is unrestricted but should clearly meet the criteria of delivering sport for development for young people.

All funding must be spent by successful applicants between 1st October and 31st December 2021.

 

 

Resources For Your Club

Taking control of your assets can help your club grow; develop new opportunities; secure their future and be more engaged with local people and organisations.

An interactive guide has been developed to help you understand your community rights. The guide is based on a written report authored by Dr. Adam Brown, Substance and Tom Hall, Sporting Assets. Download the full guide by clicking here.

 

 

Testimonials

Glasgow Saints

"When we formed Glasgow Saints Football Club in 2020, we knew very early on that we wanted to be a club that existed to support our community as much as our community would support us. This is what drove us to become a registered charity in Scotland. We understood what becoming a charity would mean in simple terms, but as individuals we had no real experience or understanding of the process involved; or understanding of the full scope of how we could use registration to further benefit those we were eager to help.

Club Development Scotland guided us seamlessly through every stage of the process, answered every question we had and introduced options that without them, we would never have known existed. Being able to rely on their expertise and trusting in their counsel, also afforded us the time to focus our efforts on other areas of club development, allowing for continual internal growth. Our sincerest thanks to Andrew and the team for their patience, and for turning a daunting task into an enjoyable one for all on the Board at GSFC."

– Emma Jones, Trustee

 

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.

 

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. 

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)

Programme Notes - 31/07/21

The Jags Trust is delighted to present the Managers Preview on all social media platforms.

As the curtain (flag) is raised the audience of Jags fans get the opportunity to applaud the

cast. We celebrate with Ian and his players their amazing achievement in Season 2020-2021

of winning League One and returning Partick Thistle to the SPFL “Cinch” Championship.

Good Luck and fingers crossed for an exciting and successful Season 2021-2022.

Although we have not yet reached the finish line for social distancing, we are pleased to hear

from the Club so many have committed themselves to season tickets to ensure entry to

Firhill. We are thinking of all those who are still required to stay at home, for health reasons

or loss of confidence, and hope you will soon be back amongst your Firhill family.

Jags supporters have stoically supported the club throughout these very strange and difficult

times. Unfortunately, as I write, there are still question marks over the feasibility for travelling

support to the next two matches. Keep your eye out for updates from the bus convenors or

www.ptfc.co.uk.

The new membership year has now begun. If you don’t already have a standing order in

place, it’s time to renew your Jags Trust membership. Thanks to everyone who has already

renewed their membership and remind others that it’s never too late to sign up.

Visit www.jagstrust.com “The Shop” for the membership form; handmade Red, Yellow &

Black jewellery and the famous book Red & Yellow For Ever author Robert Reid, Club

Historian.

Supporters Direct Scotland www.supporters-direct.scot and Club Development Scotland

www.clubdevelopment.scot catch up with news and surveys for football supporters from

around Scotland and Europe.

The Jags Trust Board welcomes to Firhill, physically or via live stream, the Chairperson,

Office Bearers and Committee Members of Queen of the South FC and the “Doonhamers

Supporters Trust” for Season 2021 - 22, SPFL “Cinch” Championship opening match.

Morag McHaffie

Chairperson PTSA “The Jags Trust” and Supporters Direct Scotland Council

Supporters Direct Newsletter July 2021

WE'RE BACK WHERE WE BELONG!

The last 17 months have been hard for everyone around the world, with every aspect of our lives impacted by COVID-19. Football was no exception, and we have been denied the chance to support our teams and spend time with our fellow fans.

It was difficult at times not to jump on the bandwagon and demand an early return for fans to attend matches, but we were acutely aware that doing so could increase the number of cases and ultimately deaths. This was one (rare!) time when football was NOT more important than life and death. Instead, we took a more cautious approach, working behind the scenes with other stakeholders across the game to ensure that when it was time to return it would be done as safely as possible, and that in the meantime our clubs were able to survive. That time is now.

Supporters around the country backed their clubs financially despite there being no prospect of watching their teams play; the SFA and various league bodies  accelerated scheduled payments to clubs; philanthropists (most notably James Anderson) donated massive sums of money through the SPFL Trust and directly to leagues and clubs; and the Scottish Government approved a programme of loans and grants to clubs across the country. It is testament to all of these actions that our professional game is still intact and that none of our clubs have experienced an insolvency event. In our opinion that is a minor miracle, and one that we should all be immensely proud of.

Now is the time when we can #letfansin! At first this is happening in limited numbers, but this week's decisions to allow Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibernian (and hopefully many others) to welcome larger crowds demonstrates a shared commitment to taking careful steps towards a broader lifting of restrictions. The decision-making process is not yet transparent enough, and this will frustrate many of us - but with 32 local authorities each making decisions to keep their own communities safe, and every football ground being different, this frustration is likely to continue for some time.

If crowd restrictions at your club's matches mean that it is difficult for you to attend, now is the perfect time to pay other clubs a visit. One of our lockdown projects was to create an interactive map with information about all of Scotland’s football grounds. We shared the data behind the map with a UK-wide project called LetFansIn and it is also available on their website. Many of us have dozens of football clubs on our doorsteps, playing in the 5th, 6th and 7th tiers of our game, who we have never been to. Every one of these clubs has suffered during COVID-19, and would love to see more of you on a Saturday afternoon. COVID-19 protection measures will be in place at every one of these grounds, so stay safe and enjoy your football wherever you manage to see it! 

 

Yes Sir, We Boogied!

After a 23 year absence it was amazing to see the Scotland men's national team in the finals of a major tournament again! We would all have hoped to cheer the team on in more than three matches, but just being there was fantastic, and the performance at Wembley in particular was everything we had hoped for.

Well done to every member of the Tartan Army for your impeccable conduct at all three matches. You make us proud every time we play.

 

Stenhousemuir FC and the pandemic

As part of 2020's research project on volunteer management in Scottish football, funded by our friends at SD Europe, we spoke to Stenhousemuir FC about their "Community Help Initiative". We saw this as a fantastic demonstration of how quickly and powerfully a football club can respond to community need if everyone is aligned around a shared purpose and direction.

Our research project was originally intended to include visits to each club featured in the project report, and we had to wait a little longer to do this! But we were delighted to eventually sit down with Stenhousemuir's chairman Iain McMenemy to hear more from him about their work in the community. You can see what he had to say in the video below, and read the full report including more case studies here.

 

Tap Out and take a moment to avoid Bet Regret

With the new season underway we are delighted to be renewing our partnership with GambleAware, helping them to implement their “Bet Regret” campaign for the 2021/22 season. 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.

Our matchday experiences are full of habits – who we go with, where we go before the game, and often superstitions like wearing our lucky pair of socks! Betting is also a habit – putting a line on or picking matches for an accumulator. This makes Saturdays about more than just the match, and we want to build good habits that make it more enjoyable rather than something we regret.

“Tap out and take a moment” is a simple tip to use every time you bet. Tap out of your betting app before you place a bet and then take a moment to think – this could be by making a cup of tea, deciding what you want for dinner or just by putting your phone down for a minute. This gives you time to really think it through and decide if it’s a bet you should avoid or not.

We have seen the return of fans in limited numbers this month for the group stage of the league cup, and look forward to the gradual lifting of COVID restrictions as the league fixtures begin. The football’s back, the fans are back, but the Bet Regret is not back. This season, tap out and take a moment to avoid Bet Regret. 

 

Help us strengthen Scottish football

 

Like most organisations, the financial pressures on SD Scotland intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.

 

 

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 recent stories.

  1. Celebrating A Good Week For The SFA & Scots Sides In Europe

  2. Crowds, Scotland Women’s Potential New Boss and Peterhead’s Vaccine Drive

  3. It Will Be A Great Start To League Season With Fans Back In The Stands!

  4. Well Done, Motherwell FC And It’s Supporters!

  5. Celebrating Bertie Auld!

  6. Gilmour The Great

  7. Superb Scottish Euro 2020 Content

  8. Looking At Scotland’s Positive Dutch Performance

 

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.

2021 CDS Survey Results

The findings from the Club Development Scotland 2021 survey paint a somewhat pessimistic picture for the future of sports clubs in Scotland, particularly concerning their finances and membership.

Key findings of the survey include:

While before the pandemic just 2% of clubs were making a loss, as of June 2021, this number had grown to 31% of clubs. Furthermore, while pre-COVID 48% of clubs were making a surplus, just 18 months on, this number had reduced to 28% – highlighting the impact COVID has had upon clubs financially.

In addition, 16% of the clubs who participated in the survey held doubts they would survive the next six months.

Regarding clubs’ membership numbers, since the start of 2020 (pre-COVID), over 50% of clubs had seen their adult membership decrease, with just 18% witnessing an increase over the same time period. While this decrease might be largely attributed to the impact of COVID19, this is also reflective of wider trends concerning the decrease of membership within sports clubs in Scotland (and as reported by the OSS).

  • You can read the full results of the survey here.

Launch of the 2021 CDS Survey - how has COVID19 affected your club? | June 2021 Newsletter

Let us know the issues most affecting your club

We have today published the annual Club Development Scotland survey, aiming to provide a picture of the issues affecting clubs across the country. 

Research has revealed that even before COVID-19, over 40% of local community sports clubs were either in deficit or just breaking even. The pandemic has since put over 25% of community clubs at risk of permanent closure. We’re keen to learn about the precise challenges clubs are facing and the extent of the damage COVID-19 has caused. We’re asking clubs to complete this short survey to give us an understanding of the support they seek going forward. We will use this information to tailor our guidance going forward.

  • Complete the survey here.

 

News & What We're Reading

New insight reveals young people are less likely to return to organised activity post-lockdown

Children and young people are less likely to return to organised community activity post-lockdown than adults, according to new research by the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

Clubs ready to deliver if facilities are ready to return

Research by the Sport and Recreation Alliance has shown that community clubs are ready to return once restrictions end but there remain serious concerns that a reduction in available facilities may leave some unable to deliver activity.

Physical activity can help disadvantaged pupils

New research published this week suggests that children who do more physical activity may be able to control their emotions more easily, and therefore have improved educational attainment.

This pattern of association, reported in a study from Cambridge University, was found to be particularly pronounced among children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The authors of the study suggest that this may in part be because less-advantaged children often have fewer opportunities to participate in organised recreation and sports, and therefore experience stronger benefits when they do so.

 

Is a lack of higher purpose stifling the potential of sports organisations?

Research suggests that rallying around a clear and sincere mission can increase the robustness and competitive advantage of a company

 

Becoming football’s first chief sustainability officer

Thom Rawson, an Edie 30-under-30 sustainability champion, discusses his unique role in helping non-league Hanwell Town FC become a net zero football club

 

Resources For Your Club

 Many clubs in Scotland are unincorporated. 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 comes with significant risks. Check our explainer for more information on the advantages and disadvantages of incorporation for your sports club. 

 

Testimonials

 

Deveronvale Community FC

"We first linked up with Club Development Scotland through our partnership with My Club Hub to assist and progress our application to gain charitable status as a SCIO and HMRC registration for Gift Aid. The application process is quite a daunting task for any club but straight from the start the guys were first class, getting a real understanding of our club first of all and from there on in, it was a very streamlined and simple process which resulted in a successful outcome. Their expertise and honesty was evident. Real genuine guys and we can’t speak highly enough of the work of Club Development Scotland. We would have no doubts in recommending the first-class services provided"

- Kevin Stewart, Chair of Deveronvale Community FC

 

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.

 

Clubs in Crisis Fund

Made By Sport and Cash4Clubs are offering community sports clubs and organisations across the UK the opportunity to receive £2021 in unrestricted support, through the ‘Clubs In Crisis’ fund.

Application deadline: 07/06/2021 (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth)

Persimmon Community Champions

Persimmon Community Champions is a national programme where charities and groups can apply for funding up to the value of £2,000 to match money they have already raised themselves.


This year (2021) the community champions scheme is open to all and does not have a specific focus as it did last year.

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.

 

Scottish Supporters Network - May 2021 Newsletter

Farewell to 2020/21!

With domestic football finished for the summer - hopefully to return in a couple of months in a much more recognisable form! All that remains is for us to congratulate the champions of each division (Rangers, Hearts, Partick Thistle and Queens Park), the play-off winners (Dundee, Greenock Morton, Dumbarton and Kelty Hearts), and every club in the country who kept their fans engaged, entertained and connected to each other during the most difficult of times.

As always in football, where there are winners there must also be losers. Hamilton Academical, Kilmarnock, Alloa Athletic, Forfar Athletic and Brechin City all face a summer of adjustment; and many more clubs who fell just short of promotion will also be licking their wounds right now.

But - and we must never forget this - it is a minor miracle that all of our clubs have survived COVID-19 intact and still exist to compete in 2021/22. In the first days and weeks of lockdown last spring supporters dug deep, giving much needed financial support to their clubs after the season was cut short - and in turn, many of our clubs dug deep to support their communities. We featured some of these efforts as case studies in our volunteering study, but there are countless more equally deserving of praise.

The importance of clubs to their communities, and to their supporters, was recognised by a series of philanthropers, in particular James Anderson whose donation to the SPFL Trust enabled the distribution of significant sums of money to professional clubs, to women's football and to youth football. These donations were followed by a funding package from the Scottish Government to compensate for the impact on gate revenue of COVID-19 protection measures.

In the midst of this turmoil the men's national team gave the whole nation a massive boost - and some incredible social media memes! - by qualifying for this summer's Euros. With everything still on course for fans to be in attendance, we hope they give us serveral more occasions to boogie during June and July.See you at Hampden and Wembley (the first visit on 18th June will just be a warm-up for July 11th!)

Fans Bank: the culmination of years of hard work

Football did not feature highly in the Scottish Parliamentary election, but one manifesto pledge by the SNP deserves to be celebrated, and we look forward to it being over the coming parliamentarty term.

The 'Fans Bank' promise will establish a fund to help fans take their clubs into supporter ownership, empower communities and groups, and strengthen local decision-making by supporting communities to acquire a share or control of their local sports club. This was the culmination of years of hard work by many inside and outside the world of Scottish football and politics – Supporters Direct began developing this concept during the early 2000s, continuing over the next decade before being awarded funding by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to write a feasibility study into a Community Sport Fund in 2016 which was published and shared with the Scottish Government.

It was disappointing to see other organisations attempting to claim credit for this idea, but this does not detract from the satisfaction of seeing something that was thought of as radical at the time being brought into the mainstream of policy development. Scottish football has made massive strides over the last decade to demonstrate that not only is supporter ownership possible, it can help our clubs chart a sustainable path at the highest levels of our game. Motherwell have thrived in the Premiership, becoming debt-free for the first time in 40 years; St Mirren have grown their stake in the club in partnership with the social care charity Kibble, and are on course to secure a majority shareholding later this year; the Foundation of Hearts have hit every milestone they set themselves back in 2014 and are ready to complete their transition into fan ownership this summer as they return to the Premiership; and just last week Morton Club Together agreed the terms of their supporter buy-out.

Each of these clubs have managed to do this without government support, while fans of other clubs cast look on with keen interest. For those yet to take this step, and previously unsure whether it was possible for their club, the Fans Bank is fantastic news, and Supporters Direct Scotland remain ready to assist them on their journey.

Getting ready for the Euros

Our partner organisation, the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, have been actively involved in planning for the Euros next month. Read their reports of the Glasgow and London planning meetings here:

Together with ATAC we have also met with a research project team from the University of Stirling, who are currently recruiting a team of (paid) fieldwork supports to observe and record how effectively COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as social distancing, mask wearing and hand hygiene, are being implemented at EURO 2020 matches.

If you have tickets for the matches at Hampden and Wembley and are interested in finding out more, please contact us via info@supporters-direct.scot to find out more. Training will be held during the week commencing June 7th.

Reclaim The Game

We're proud to be part of Football Supporters Europe's campaign to #ReclaimTheGame. Visit http://reclaimthegame.eu and join fans from across the continent who demand change:

  1. Fan involvement

  2. Respect for fans and fans' culture

  3. Freedom of choice

  4. Affordable football

  5. Football for everyone

  6. Stronger regulation

  7. Sharing of the wealth

  8. Competitive balance

  9. UEFA scraps its champions league reforms

  10. National governments and the EU protect our clubs and communities

  11. FAs and leagues challenge the influence of wealthy clubs

Help us strengthen Scottish football

Like most organisations, the financial pressures on SD Scotland intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.

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 recent stories.

  1. The SFA: The Good And The Bad

  2. Supporting Scottish Football!

  3. Get Fans In Hampden, Colts Should Start At Bottom & Have End Of Season Awards

  4. Celebrating Scottish Footballing History

  5. ESL – after the dust has settled

  6. SPFL Have To Show It’s Not A Closed Shop

  7. Job Well Done – BBC Highlighting Womens Game

  8. Scottish Cup and Euro 2020

  9. Hope Grows That Tartan Army Will Be In Hampden This Summer

  10. B Teams in SPFL League Two?

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.

Supporters Direct Newsletter April 2021

Welcome to this month's CDS Newsletter,

Over the past month, a string of worrying statistics have been published, highlighting the precarious position sports clubs are currently in. 

According to research, even before the pandemic, over 40 per cent of local community sports clubs were either in deficit or just breaking even. Now, a quarter find themselves at risk of permanent closure after a year of intense difficulty – from local football teams to athletics and tennis clubs.

We know many of these clubs are run by volunteers, who are often time-poor. This is why we started Club Development Scotland 5 years ago this month - to give community clubs a helping hand with the expertise we've gained within the sector to date.

Since launching CDS with the support of Motherwell FC's Keith Lasley (pictured below), we've helped a range of clubs with matters such as incorporation, legal structures, gift aid, funding, Community Asset Transfers and just general club development. To date, we've worked with over 40 different clubs, helping them increase their turnover by 25% on average.

We also know the pandemic has hit clubs hard, which is why we're offering free club development and fundraising reviews to sports clubs throughout April. Simply get in touch by emailing andrew@clubdevelopment.scot with a bit of background to your club including your current struggles (e.g. funding) and what your aspirations are for the future. 

News & What We're Reading

The football club of the future? How Lewes FC’s principles have started to pay off

They take pride in doing things differently at Lewes FC, the small football club with big ideas. Read about their commitment to gender equality and community ownership. 

 

New study calls on sports to end sponsorship deals with ‘high carbon polluters’

A new study has called on sports properties to end their sponsorship deals with companies it claims are attempting to ‘sports-wash’ their role in the climate crisis. 

 

Sport can be the secret weapon in the battle against COVID inequality

The Chair of a charity which provides sporting competition to young people says sport can be the “secret weapon” in the battle to help them recover from some of the most negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Fears that 25% of grassroots sports clubs may not return after lockdown

Grassroots sports will struggle to return once lockdown measures are eased, MPs have been warned, with one organisation estimating 25% of their clubs will not come back from the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The challenge of re-engaging young people and the need to find funding are biggest concerns for community sports groups, new research finds.

The latest piece of research on the impact of Covid-19 on grassroots sports, carried out by Sported, has found that although 86% are confident their group will survive the next 6 months, they are most anxious now about getting support in funding opportunities (26%) and in keeping participants active/stimulated (14%).

 

Social Impact Bond to support 'Chances Programme'

Sport England has announced it is using a Social Impact Bond (SIB) for the first time to improve opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The 'Chances Programme', developed by the funding body in partnership with Substance, the Life Chances Fund and Big Issue Invest, will support more than 6,000 people aged eight to 17 across 21 locations in the UK over the next three years.

 

Call to put community sport at heart of Covid recovery plan

The OSS in partnership with The Scotsman has launched its ‘manifesto for sport’ calling on the next Scottish Government to put community sport at the centre of its post-pandemic recovery plan.

Testimonials

Deveronvale Community FC

"We first linked up with Club Development Scotland through our partnership with My Club Hub to assist and progress our application to gain charitable status as a SCIO and HMRC registration for Gift Aid. The application process is quite a daunting task for any club but straight from the start the guys were first class, getting a real understanding of our club first of all and from there on in, it was a very streamlined and simple process which resulted in a successful outcome. Their expertise and honesty was evident. Real genuine guys and we can’t speak highly enough of the work of Club Development Scotland. We would have no doubts in recommending the first-class services provided"

- Kevin Stewart, Chair of Deveronvale Community FC

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.

Clubs in Crisis Fund

Made By Sport and Cash4Clubs are offering community sports clubs and organisations across the UK the opportunity to receive £2021 in unrestricted support, through the ‘Clubs In Crisis’ fund.

The fund will open in April, in line with the unlocking of grassroots sport in the UK.

Western Recreation Trust

The trust gives approximately £20,000 per year to organisations based in the West of Scotland working to improve recreational facilities for young people, older people and those who are unemployed. The trustees prefer to give towards specific items of equipment or projects and to organised clubs, groups and teams where many will benefit.

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

Raising funds through community shares

Community shares can fund sports clubs, build new facilities and above all, build stronger, more vibrant, and independent communities.

Sports clubs and community groups need money to grow, in particular, to build better facilities to generate more money. The problem is that clubs are limited in what cash they can raise from fundraising, donations, loans or grants. Too many of us know that relying on loans from individuals or companies can be very risky for the club. Enter community shares. Check out our guidance here.

Incorporation for your Sports Club

Many clubs in Scotland are unincorporated. 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”. If your club owns property and is unincorporated, it will be owned in the names of certain members. Therefore, if the club closes owing money, or can’t meet it debts, a creditor can go after the individual members and not just the club’s assets. Check our guidance on incorporation and the options open to a clubs here.

Supporters Direct Newsletter March 2021

Lower leagues and women's football to return from March 20th

The news that League One, League Two and Scottish Women's Premier League 1 will be allowed to restart later this month, along with a new schedule for the Scottish Cup, was warmly welcomed this week.

However, the exact format of the remaining League One & Two season has since been up for debate, with clubs proposing a curtailed 18 match programme, followed by a 4 game post-split sequence of fixtures to complete the season. This seems to be a practical way to ease fixture congestion, but is yet to be formally agreed by all clubs and approved by the SPFL. We argued last summer for a contingency plan to be put in place for exactly this kind of situation, and hope that this decision can be made without further delay to the season.

We will continue to put the case for contingency planning to be part of the post-COVID football restart process - this can avoid the unseemly conflict that followed the curtailment of last season's competitions.

 

Bet Regret is back

As a partner of BeGambleAware, Supporters Direct Scotland is pleased to support the next stage of the Bet Regret campaign that launches this weekend. In this campaign bettors are asked to tap out of their betting app and pause, take a moment to think so they can avoid Bet Regret. This is a major campaign running across TV and BVOD, radio, digital, social and is supported by celebrity talent David James and Josh Denzel.

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.

Tap out and take a moment is a simple tip to use every time you bet. Tap out of your betting app before you place a bet and then take a moment to think – this could be by making a cup of tea, deciding what you want for dinner or just by putting your phone down for a minute. This gives you time to really think it through and decide if it’s a bet you should avoid or not.

For this campaign BeGambleAware have chosen to really focus on the process of tapping out. How to do it, what to do while you take your moment to consider, and what benefits come from taking that time to avoid Bet Regret.

Check out the new campaign and watch Barry learn the value of taking a moment to think before placing a bet. www.begambleaware.org/betregret

Watch this space for more news on the campaign and support from David James and Josh Denzel.

 

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."

  

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.

 

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 recent stories.

  1. Scottish Government Shouldn’t Bow Down To UEFA Pressure Regarding Euro 2020

  2. Scottish Football Authorities Need To Sort Out Own Problems Not Scottish Government

  3. SPFL & SFA Need To Figure Out Lower League & SWPL Plans

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

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

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

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

 

Behind The Goals is back! Subscribe to our podcast feed to catch every new episode:

Also check out our recent "Club Development Scotland meets..." series.

 

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.

Supporters Direct Scotland are committed to helping football supporters enjoy responsible gambling; for many this is an integral part of their match day experience.

We have selected GamCare as our recommended support service for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling. GamCare operate the National Gambling Helpline (whose advisers are available on 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org), provide treatment for problem gamblers and their families, create awareness about responsible gambling and treatment, and encourage an effective approach to responsible gambling within the gambling industry.