The FORZA State of Grassroots Football Report 2026

If there is one message grassroots clubs want the government and governing bodies to hear, it is that the cost of running a club has become unsustainable for many. Almost every club surveyed (99%) has seen their costs rise in the past year, with nearly three quarters describing the increase as significant.

Nearly 3 in 5 clubs' (58%) weekly running costs are now £250 a week or more, and for nearly 1 in 5 clubs (18%) their weekly costs exceed £1,000. In comparison, only 13% of clubs had weekly outgoings of £1,000+ in 2025, which shows how quickly costs are rising.

The main driver for this is pitch hire. Over eight in ten clubs (83%) have seen pitch hire costs increase, and half of all club representatives name it as the expense that increased the most in the past 12 months. This is compounded by the fact that only 15% of clubs own their facilities outright, meaning that the rest are beholden to local authorities, private landlords or lease agreements.

Equipment and kit costs follow closely behind, rising for 81% of clubs, while referee fees (61%), affiliation and league fees (52%) and insurance (49%), round out a picture of costs increasing on every front at once. 

The resilience and initiative of grassroots clubs have been key to tackling these rising costs, as clubs are having to work harder than ever just to continue operating. 

Over two-thirds (68%) are increasingly reliant on fundraising activities and 65% on sponsorship to plug the gap, while 54% have had no choice but to increase player subs, passing the cost directly on to families and players.

Perhaps most tellingly, three in ten clubs (30%) say they depend on personal financial contributions from volunteers and officials to keep the lights on.

Our 2026 report looks at how well clubs are making use of the current funding schemes put in place by governing bodies. These bodies help clubs fund necessary facility equipment like goalposts, floodlights, clubhouses and 3G pitches which individual clubs can rarely cover through subs and sponsorship alone.

We found that almost half (49%) of clubs were either unaware of the funding options available or hadn’t applied. This points to an awareness problem, as when clubs were asked about what single facility upgrade would benefit their club most, over half (56%) pointed to a 3G or all-weather pitch, something that clubs can apply for funding for.

It’s clear that the majority of clubs rely on the same tried and tested fundraising tactics which include player subs (88%), sponsorships (71%) and fundraisers (52%), with grants and government utilised by less than 1 in 4 (23%) to fund their activities. Unlike in the professional leagues clubs can’t rely on private investors either, and only 1 in 25 (4%) are lucky enough to benefit from a private backer.

Sponsorship itself is rarely aimed at the big-ticket items for clubs, as this goes towards essentials including football kits (93%) and equipment (74%), with only 27% going towards club facilities. To secure these sponsorships clubs are reliant on local businesses (85%) and personal networks (67%), rather than through deliberate funding strategies like online campaigns (25%).

The pattern this points to isn't a lack of ambition; clubs know exactly what upgrade they need. It's awareness of, and engagement with, the funding already built to help them get there that's lagging behind.

Behind every match played at grassroots level is a club scrambling to keep its equipment fit for purpose. Over half of clubs (54%) say they don’t have enough equipment to operate properly, and nearly half (46%) admit they are currently using kit that has deteriorated beyond normal wear and tear.

The strain is made worse by how thinly this equipment is stretched, with 72% of clubs sharing equipment across multiple teams and age groups, meaning a single set of goals, cones or first aid kits are often doing the work of several.

The overall condition tells a bit of a mixed story. Just under half of clubs (47%) rate their equipment as merely “adequate” and 14% rate it poor or very poor. On the other hand, nearly three times that number (38%) actually consider their equipment as good or excellent. 

Shedding some light on the report, women’s and girls’ football is still on the rise at grassroots level. Our report shows that two thirds of clubs (68%) now have a women’s or girls team or are actively setting one up. Among those with an existing team, participation has grown, with 82% reporting growth in the past 12 months.

The growth has widely been credited to the professional game with 88% of clubs believing that the success of the Lionesses and the growth of the WSL has inspired more girls to play, with more than half saying the impact has been noticeable rather than marginal.

Clubs are clear that inspiration alone is not enough. When asked what’s holding participation back, the top answer isn’t a lack of interest, it’s a lack of infrastructure to meet it. Limited coaches and volunteers are the most cited barrier overall (70%), ahead of a lack of players or teams in the local area to compete against (58%) and a lack of female friendly facilities (51%).

The result is a mixed verdict on whether the grassroots game is rising to the moment. While 58% of clubs feel enough is being done to make football accessible to women and girls, a significant 34% disagree.

As part of our new report, we wanted to investigate what is happening to referees at grassroots level. What we have found is that there is a respect problem, and clubs are in no doubt about where it stems from.

9 in 10 clubs (90%) say they have witnessed abuse directed at a match official in the past 12 months, and a further 62% believe the problem has worsened over time.

The data points squarely at the sidelines rather than the pitch, with more than two thirds (68%) of grassroots clubs stating that they think parents and spectators are responsible for abuse of officials. This is followed by 37% for coaches/managers and opposing team officials and 36% for players. Only 10% of clubs have said they have seen no abuse occur.

Clubs also draw a direct line from the professional game to their own touchline. Over 8 in 10 (81%) believe the behaviour of Premier League players and managers towards referees influences how the game is played and officiated at grassroots level. This is telling and suggests that the abuse at grassroots level is not separated from conversations about conduct at the top of the sport.

The cost of this is a shrinking number of people wanting to become match officials. 6 in 10 clubs (61%) say a referee shortage is a serious problem already affecting games and more than three quarters (77%) believe a fear of abuse is actively putting people off, a problem which if left unaddressed, could threaten the very game itself.

A shortage of officials is an issue that was flagged in our 2025 report, and the number of clubs that reported they'd had to cancel fixtures due to a lack of referees has grown from 16% last year to 21% in 2026.

One of the starkest sections in last year’s report looked at how almost all clubs were entirely reliant on volunteers. A year has passed and the statistics tell a similar story, almost every club (99%) describe themselves as reliant on volunteers to operate, yet 78% say it has become harder to recruit and retain them in recent years, with over a third (36%) saying significantly so.

When asked what challenges their volunteers face, 93% of clubs point to time pressure and work-life balance, an issue which is dominant compared to others. Behind it, a lack of commitment from players and parents (48%), difficulty finding people willing to step up (47%), the cost of coaching qualifications (34%) and a growing burden on paperwork and admin (31%).