As the new season for grassroots clubs beckons we bring you our 3rd edition of our magazine. Again, thank you to everyone who is reading it and for the feedback you are giving us.

The first two editions are still available so if you missed them don't worry, you can still catch up here.

For August we've chosen as our 'Legend' Luis Figo, the original number 7 for Portugal. I once saw him train at Barcelona, and was taken aback at how hard he worked in training. He's now showing all his leadership qualities by being involved in decision making at the top end of the game.

Also included are:

• A look at one of the biggest issues in grassroots football - the state of pitches
• An attempt to simplify how clubs pay for their players and why certain things are put in place to do so
• Coach corner examines why pitch dimensions can be used for awareness as well as emphasizing a coaching topic

We hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. Please keep the feedback coming—we’re always eager to hear your thoughts on what you’d like to see in future editions. Together, we can make this magazine a valuable resource for the grassroots football community.

David Platt

Founder - Golazzo

Who Is Responsible for the State of Grassroots Football Pitches?

If you spend any time on grassroots football forums or scrolling through social media posts from local clubs, one topic comes up time and again: the condition of our pitches. Week after week, volunteers, parents and coaches express their frustration as matches are postponed or cancelled, most often due to waterlogged or unplayable fields.

While the past winter was especially wet—some might call it unprecedented—the truth is, even in average years, games are regularly called off. As a coach of my son’s team for over seven years, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it is to keep matches on schedule. Our pitch, like many others in our league that aren’t 3 or 4G, simply couldn’t cope with sustained rainfall.

Most of these pitches are maintained by local councils, and it’s clear that resources are stretched. In spring and autumn, the grass is often left too long between cuts, and in winter, persistent wet weather turns fields into muddy quagmires. Maintenance doesn’t always align with what the pitches actually need to thrive. Nature can do wonders, but only with a bit of support—regular mowing, aeration, and drainage improvements, for example.

It’s important to acknowledge the financial pressures local authorities face. Councils are tasked with providing a wide range of essential services, and it’s understandable that football pitches may not always top the list of priorities. In our case, we approached the council about taking on the management of a piece of land used by some of our teams. We were told it was possible, but after five years, progress stalled, then finished abruptly.

Why are we not leaders in the quality of grassroots pitches?

Interestingly, when I’ve visited other countries—some much smaller than the UK—I’ve been amazed by the quality of football facilities, even in the tiniest villages. Many of these places have similar climates to ours, yet their pitches are better maintained and more frequently available for play.

So, what’s holding us back? Over the years, I’ve diligently logged match data into the Football Association’s FullTime system, including regular ratings of our pitches. In seven years, I never rated a grass pitch above “satisfactory”—and even that was very generous at times. I suspect I’m not alone. How many coaches across the country have entered similar feedback, year after year? And what has become of all this data? Has it led to any meaningful change?

It’s easy to point fingers—at local councils, at the Football Association, or even at the government. Each will rightly say they invest in the game and support grassroots football in various ways. However, if the recurring complaint is the state of our pitches, perhaps those investments aren’t reaching the areas where they’re most needed.

If the solution is more 3G and all-weather facilities, then the process for accessing grants and funding needs to be made simpler and less bureaucratic for clubs. If it’s more cost-effective to improve natural grass pitches, then a clear, coordinated strategy should be put in place, with practical support for clubs and volunteers.

The Reality

But here’s the reality: writing another article, posting on forums, or venting on social media—while cathartic—rarely leads to change on its own. As individuals, our voices can be lost in the noise. Yet, collectively, the grassroots community is powerful. If coaches, parents, volunteers, and players come together to advocate for better facilities, hold governing bodies accountable, real progress becomes possible.

The state of grassroots pitches is not just a local issue—it’s a national one that affects participation, enjoyment, and the future of the game. The challenge is to move beyond isolated complaints and towards a collective, constructive effort. By working together, sharing best practices, and engaging with those who can make a difference, we stand a much better chance of seeing the improvements our clubs and communities deserve.

Change won’t happen overnight, but with persistence and unity, it can happen. The responsibility lies with all of us—clubs, councils, governing bodies, and supporters—to ensure that grassroots football has the facilities it needs to thrive, now and for generations to come.

The High Cost of Missing Out: How Champions League Failure Impacts Elite Football Clubs’ Finances

For leading football clubs across Europe, qualifying for the Champions League is about much more than sporting prestige. The financial consequences of missing out on Europe’s top competition are immediate and significant—even for globally renowned clubs with powerful commercial operations.

Budgeting on Expectations: The Domino Effect

Elite clubs typically budget years in advance, often assuming Champions League participation as a given. By the time a season’s fate is decided, these clubs have already committed to major outlays: substantial player salaries, multi-million-pound transfer fees (spread over lengthy contracts through amortisation), and high operational costs.

Champions League revenue—often ranging from £70 million to over £100 million per season for top clubs—forms a central pillar of these budgets. Commercial and sponsorship deals frequently include clauses that reduce payments if the club misses out on Europe’s premier competition, compounding the financial blow. When expected income fails to materialise, clubs can suddenly find themselves at risk of breaching financial regulations, such as UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) or domestic Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Amortisation: Spreading the Cost of Transfers

A key element in club finances is how transfer fees are accounted for. Rather than recording a transfer fee as a one-off expense, clubs amortise the cost over the length of the player’s contract. For example, a £100 million signing on a five-year deal appears as a £20 million expense per season in the accounts. In addition to this is the players salary for that year, say £10m - so a £30m 'loss' on the balance sheet. This form of accounting helps smooth out the impact of big signings and assists clubs in managing their books.

However, if a club needs or wants to sell a player before their contract ends—perhaps to balance the books after missing out on Champions League revenue—the remaining unamortised fee is “crystallised” and must be written off immediately. If the player is sold for less than their remaining book value, the club records a direct loss in that financial year, making the situation even more challenging. That's a primary reason why so many players are loaned out, clubs don't want to crystallize the debt.

Selling Home-Grown Players: Instant Profit

One of the few ways clubs can quickly improve their financial position is by selling home-grown players or those acquired at a very young age for minimal fees. When such a player is sold, the entire transfer fee is recorded as profit, because there is little or no amortisation left on the books. This is why developing talent in-house is not just a sporting priority, but a financial strategy for many clubs. Sales of these players can provide a vital boost to the bottom line, especially when other revenues fall short. For those clubs who fail to meet forecasted revenues - often spectacularly missing out - selling players they may not wish to becomes necessary.

Factoring: Accelerating Cash Flow

Transfer deals often involve staggered payments over several years. To maintain cash flow, clubs sometimes use factoring, selling the rights to future transfer instalments to a financial institution in exchange for immediate funds. While this provides short-term liquidity—useful if revenue is down due to missing out on European competition—it typically comes at the cost of fees and interest, reducing the overall income from player sales. Furthermore, it's often just 'kicking the can down the road'.

The Trap of Fixed Costs and Inflexible Contracts

Elite clubs’ wage bills and debt repayments are often fixed, regardless of whether Champions League money comes in. Even if a club wants to cut costs by selling high-earning players, it’s not always straightforward. Players on lucrative contracts may be unwilling to move unless their salary is matched, and clubs may have to pay out the difference as a lump sum. This can result in significant one-off payments, further straining finances.

Regulatory Pressure: Rules Get Tighter as Income Falls

Financial regulations are designed to prevent clubs from spending beyond their means. When revenue drops, the ratio of wages and transfer costs to income increases, making it easier for clubs to breach these rules. Sanctions can include fines, transfer bans, or even squad restrictions, forcing clubs to make tough choices in a short timeframe, alien to forecasting their budgets and buying players on long term contracts.

The Vicious Cycle

All these factors create a vicious cycle. Missing out on a major competition slashes revenue, but contractual commitments and fixed costs remain. Pressure from financial regulations mounts, and attempts to balance the books—such as selling players—can sometimes worsen the short-term financial picture due to amortisation rules and severance payments. By default, the players you are able to sell are often the best ones, leading to a decline in on pitch performance.

Conclusion

For elite football clubs, the cost of missing out on the Champions League or similar competitions goes far beyond lost prestige. It’s a financial shock that ripples through every area of the club, from the boardroom to the dressing room. With strict regulations, inflexible contracts, and complex accounting practices, a single season outside Europe’s elite can reshape a club’s finances—and its future—for years to come.

Pitch Dimensions

Working with different pitch dimensions and shapes for possession drills and small sided games really contributes to player awareness.

I've lost count of how many times players ask for the ball when stood outside the pitch, because they are used to a rectangular shape. Altering the shape to emphasize what you want the players to do can be of major benefit.

The next time you are working on a particular aspect of play, think about how pitch shape could help coach that simply by providing a different environment for the players to play in.

At Golazzo, all we strive for is to provide the best equipment we can at the best possible price. Because we manufacture our own footballs and we have researched the market, we can provide best quality at a cheaper price than the market.

It's the same with our Goalkeeping Gloves - available for the 25/26 season. There are lots of processes and materials that are used in the make up of a glove. We don't compromise on any. Again, because we have them manufactured ourselves, we are able to offer premium goalkeeping gloves at an honest price for grassroots players.

Goalkeepers can go through several pairs of gloves in a season, so we offer bundles too. We even allow you to buy a bundle and leave some with us, just in case your hands grow during the season. That way you can get the next size up, still part of the same bundle.

To test a pair at a bundle price simply email us at hello@golazzogroup.com - for just £35 you will get a premium pair of gloves to try out because we are certain you will be back for more.

At Golazzo we are all about saving time and money for grassroots clubs. There are over 47,000 grassroots clubs in the UK, multiply that 10 fold for amount of teams, meaning there are thousands and thousands of coaches out there all buying the same equipment.

It's because of these numbers that we've launched the very first grassroots 'buying' club. Simple economies of scale, with more volume as a collective we reduce buying and shipping costs, and instead of increasing our margin by doing so we will pass those savings on to you.

We've set up a dedicated what's app number - 07748 613865.

Just text that number with your name and club and we'll add you to our database. Then at any time now or in the future put a request in for training equipment and we'll give you the best price we can at that time. As the group grows, and the requests grow, we'll buy more and more direct from manufacturer, driving costs down to quasi wholesale level.

As an example - Aluminium Goals as shown on the next page are £125 (5ft*3ft) and £112 (4ft*2.5ft). Interested parties please email hello@golazzogroup.com