Who Really Needs Politics in Football?

By Russ Cochran
Russ Cochran · Off the Pitch

Well, we all do — and we shouldn’t shy away from it.

We all know football has its internal politics.

There are disagreements, personalities, rivalries and, from time to time, issues that nobody really wants to deal with. That’s football.

Whether you’re involved at grassroots level, non-league level or higher up the pyramid, what happens away from the pitch can have just as much influence on a club as what happens on it.

When we talk about politics in football, though, it shouldn’t automatically be seen as a dirty word.

Sometimes it’s simply about getting the right people around the table, having difficult conversations, finding compromises and trying to move something forward.

Take external funding. Organisations such as the Football Foundation can make a huge difference when a club is fortunate enough to secure investment. A new 4G pitch, floodlights, changing facilities, a clubhouse, a community stadium — or even something as straightforward as a storage container — can transform what a club is able to offer.

But this is also where the green-eyed monster can appear.

Local rivals, neighbouring communities and supporters can look at another club receiving investment and ask why they aren’t getting the same opportunity.

The County FA may also have to step in, provide guidance or make decisions that not everyone agrees with. That’s part of the process. There have to be rules, accountability and a way of deciding how investment and resources are allocated.

The important thing is how that process is handled.

SOMETIMES THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS OURSELVES

Some of these frustrations can ultimately come back to the club itself.

Why?

Because someone didn’t make the phone call.

Someone didn’t seek advice.

Someone didn’t put the proposal in front of the board.

Someone decided it was too much work.

Or perhaps nobody managed to convince the people making the decisions that the idea was actually worth pursuing.

That can be incredibly frustrating when you look at another club nearby and see them moving forward.

But there is another side to this.

Sometimes saying no is the right decision.

Capital projects can involve considerable expenditure, ongoing maintenance and financial risk. It’s easy to become focused on securing a new facility without properly considering what happens once the ribbon has been cut.

Can the club afford to operate it?

Can it maintain it?

Will it generate enough income?

Will it actually benefit more than just the first team?

Those questions matter.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

One of the biggest risks is creating a master plan simply to satisfy planning conditions or obtain approval without properly understanding the long-term consequences.

Local authority planning departments have plenty to consider. Urban and rural locations bring different challenges, while issues such as neighbours, land use, access, parking, hours of use, noise, lighting, drainage, existing use and services all have to be considered.

It can become a daunting minefield.

This is why development isn’t simply about putting something new on a piece of land. It’s about understanding how that development will work for the club and the surrounding area for years to come.

There are plenty of potential pieces to the puzzle: Government funding, including DCMS programmes, the Football Foundation, County FA support, Community Infrastructure Levy funding where applicable, local authority investment, developers, contractors, community organisations, suppliers, architects and other professional advisers.

All of these can potentially help provide solutions.

But getting the mix right is crucial.

A club shouldn’t only be thinking about what the first team needs on a Saturday afternoon. It should be looking at what the wider community could get from the facility as well.

BUILD MORE THAN A FOOTBALL GROUND

This is where I think some clubs can miss a trick.

You don’t just build it and they will come.

If the catchment area isn’t particularly large, you have to give people reasons to become involved.

Does the club have youth football?

Women’s football?

Girls’ football?

Inclusive football?

Walking football?

Community sessions?

Not every club can immediately provide all of these, and there will be practical reasons why some schemes simply aren’t possible.

But the questions should still be asked.

What could we offer?

Who are we currently missing?

What could we do with the facilities we already have?

The wider the range of people who have a reason to connect with a club, the greater the potential support around it. That can mean players, parents, volunteers, coaches, sponsors and supporters — people who develop an attachment to the club and want to see it succeed.

LOOK BEYOND MATCHDAY

Training and education are other areas worth exploring.

Does the club offer opportunities for people to develop skills away from the pitch?

Facility management, sports science, catering, administration, marketing, media and groundskeeping are all part of running a modern football operation.

A football ground doesn’t have to be used solely for football.

Could the club work with a local college or education provider?

Could students gain practical experience while the club benefits from their skills and enthusiasm?

Could meeting rooms, classrooms or other areas of the ground be used during the week?

Suddenly, the facility becomes much more than somewhere to play a match on a Saturday.

GET THE SCHOOLS INVOLVED

Another relatively straightforward idea is building relationships with local schools.

Imagine working with schools in the area and offering a number of complimentary or subsidised tickets for selected matches.

Bring the children.

Encourage parents to come with them.

Give them a reason to enjoy the experience.

It doesn’t have to be about filling the ground for one afternoon. It’s about creating familiarity and building a relationship over time.

If a youngster has a great experience at their local club, they may want to come back. They might eventually play there, volunteer there, bring their own children or simply become a lifelong supporter.

Do that consistently across several schools and the effect can become significant.

You’re not just chasing an attendance figure.

You’re building something that could last.

ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS

Disability access is another huge topic and one I’ll expand on in a separate article, but it needs to be part of the conversation whenever facilities are being developed.

If we’re talking about creating places for the whole community, then the whole community should be able to use them.

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought.

SOMEBODY HAS TO DRIVE IT

None of this is easy, and not every club will have the finances, land, volunteers or infrastructure to deliver everything I’ve mentioned.

But ideas don’t move forward by themselves.

Sometimes you need a small group of people dedicated to a particular project. Sometimes you need one person who refuses to let an idea disappear. You need people who understand funding, planning, facilities, community engagement and, importantly, how to bring different organisations together.

That brings us back to politics.

Not politics for the sake of politics.

It’s about relationships, negotiation, persuasion, compromise and getting people to pull in the same direction.

The clubs that progress won’t necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets or the largest grounds.

They may simply be the clubs that recognise an opportunity, find the right people and have the determination to see it through.

Getting the right people involved is one thing.

Getting people involved who have the dedication to keep pushing when things become difficult is another.

Because having a great idea is easy.

Making it happen is the real game.

First published in Dugout News, Issue 3, 23 August 2026. Republished here in full.