Football Financial Reviews

Helping football clubs, academies and football-related businesses understand performance, risks and opportunities

What is a Football Financial Review?

A Football Financial Review is a practical, numbers-led assessment of how a football organisation is performing, how resilient it is, and where profits and cashflow can be improved. It goes beyond “accounts prepared” and focuses on the questions owners, directors and managers actually need answered:

Are we generating sustainable surplus?

Are we cash-secure month to month?

Are wages and overheads under control?

Are we pricing properly and collecting what we bill?

Are we exposed on tax, payroll, VAT, CIS or compliance?

Are we funding growth sensibly?

Who it’s for

Semi-pro and grassroots football clubs

Professional clubs (departmental reviews: football side and commercial side)

Academies and coaching businesses

Stadium, facilities and training-ground operators

Football events, tournaments and camps

Club hospitality, catering, retail and merchandising operations

Sports media, content and sponsorship-led football businesses

What you get from a Football Financial Review

Clear financial picture

Profitability and margin analysis by activity (matches, hospitality, sponsorship, facilities hire, camps, retail)

Cost structure review (wages, matchday costs, coaching, travel, pitch/stadium, admin)

Break-even point and capacity utilisation (how much activity is needed to cover fixed costs)

Cashflow and working capital

Cashflow forecasting (weekly/monthly)

Debtors control and collection strategy (sponsors, members, customers, trade)

Creditor and HMRC exposure review

Seasonality and “closed season” cash planning

Football-specific risk review

Wage-to-turnover ratio and affordability

Contract and commitment review (players, coaches, leases, kit, finance)

Reliance risks (single sponsor, single benefactor, single revenue stream)

Funding structure review (loans, director funding, grants, investor support)

Tax and compliance checks

PAYE/NIC and payroll processes

VAT position (including partial exemption where relevant, and correct VAT treatment of income streams)

CIS where applicable (groundworks, maintenance, construction, refurb projects)

Corporation tax and planning opportunities

Governance and internal controls

Budgeting and management accounts structure

Purchase approvals and cost authorisation

Fraud risk and cash handling (matchday takings, bar, events)

KPI dashboard suitable for directors and managers

Common issues we find (and fix)

Cashflow problems despite “good turnover” because sponsors pay late and costs are fixed

Wages creeping up without a clear affordability ceiling

Matchday profit wiped out by poor stock control, wastage or staffing levels

Grants and restricted funds not tracked properly

VAT mistakes on hospitality, sponsorship or ticket-related income streams

No clear split between football operations and commercial operations, so decisions are made blind

Overreliance on one sponsor or one individual for funding

What the review covers

1. 1. Revenue analysis

Matchday income

Sponsorship and advertising

Memberships and subscriptions

Hospitality and events

Facilities hire and community use

Merchandise and retail

Camps, coaching and academy income

Media/content income

1. 2. Cost analysis

Wages and coaching costs

Matchday staffing, stewarding and security

Travel and logistics

Pitch/stadium costs and maintenance

Utilities, insurance and compliance

Bar and catering cost of sales

Marketing and commercial costs

Admin and professional fees

1. 3. Profitability and cash improvements

Pricing and margin opportunities

Cost-saving options without harming performance

Debt recovery approach for sponsors and members

Cashflow forecasting and funding strategy

Operational changes that increase surplus per event or per member

1. 4. Systems and bookkeeping

Bookkeeping and reporting structure (monthly packs, KPIs)

Stock control and till reconciliation (where relevant)

Cloud accounting setup and automation

Quarterly VAT, payroll reporting and compliance processes

Deliverables

A written report with findings, risks and action plan

A simple KPI dashboard tailored to football operations

A 12-month cashflow forecast (where required)

A priorities list: quick wins in 30 days, improvements in 90 days, strategy over 12 months

Optional: monthly management accounts and director support

How it works

Step 1: Initial information gathering

Accounts, bank statements, payroll reports

Sponsor debtor lists and key contracts

VAT returns (if registered)

Budget (if any) and season schedule

Step 2: Review and diagnostics

Trend analysis and benchmarking within the organisation

Identification of risks, leakage and missed opportunities

Cashflow stress-testing around seasonality

Step 3: Practical action plan

Clear steps, owners, timelines and expected impact on cash and profit

Why it matters now

Football organisations are under pressure from rising costs, tighter sponsor budgets and higher compliance standards. A Football Financial Review gives you a plan to stabilise cashflow, tighten control and make better decisions with confidence.

Book a Football Financial Review

If you want to understand where the money is really made, where it leaks out, and how to strengthen cashflow through the season, a Football Financial Review is the fastest way to get control.

Contact us to arrange a review and receive a clear action plan to improve profitability and financial resilience.