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Club Development

Planning is the key to the future success and viability of all football clubs no matter their level, activity or size.

Tips
  • Utilise plans and resources that currently exist by tailoring them to your club’s needs. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with a totally new plan
  • Network with other sporting clubs in the area e.g. check to see if the cricket or netball club has a club plan
  • Involve your local council in the planning process to gain assistance and build the relationship
Why plan?

Clubs need to plan for their long-term viability in order to sustain what they already have or to grow.

Planning helps to:

  • Look at where the club has come from, where it is now, where it wants to go and how it is going to get there
  • Identify the club’s main objectives
  • Encourage members to get involved in club development
  • Improve financial performance and use resources effectively
  • Adjust to changes in the current environment that impact the club
  • Ensure that resources (human, physical and financial) are used effectively
  • Evaluate the club
  • Bring order into the hectic business of running a football club

Without adequate planning, the committee frequently only deals with immediate problems and fails to consider future needs.

What is a club plan?

A club plan is a document that is designed to give the club direction in the short to medium term (2-4 years).

It takes into account the internal strengths and weaknesses, the external opportunities and threats, and details strategies to address or build on these.

In general a club plan incorporates:

  • Vision and/or mission statement
  • Core business areas of the organisation
  • Goals/objectives related to these business areas for the period of the plan
  • Strategies/tasks to be undertaken to achieve the goals/objectives
  • Timelines for the completion of those strategies/tasks
  • Resource implications, i.e. what will it cost in people and monetary terms?
  • Performance indicators i.e. how will you know when the strategy/task is completed in line with expectations?
  • Priorities for action i.e. what should be undertaken in year one, what in year two, what in year three, etc?

All the tasks that need to be achieved within the following 12 month period can be separated out of the club plan and placed into a separate document called an operational plan, i.e. those priorities for action over the next 12 months.

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