Football teams are going to need support from the fans more than ever once things start to go back to some form of normality after this Corona-virus situation, especially those lower league teams. Teams revenues will take a massive hit due to the lack of games and the lack of ticket sales with fans being unable to go watch the games that is why us fans really need to step up and show just how much those clubs mean to us. If we don't who knows how many clubs we will end up losing.
The thing is there are so many ways we can help those clubs out and keep them going as long as possible. Some cost literally nothing others will cost but can be so beneficial not just for the club but for you too.
Sponsor players
If you sponsor a player you are essentials donating the money to the club to support that player playing at the club. Not only are you helping that club but you may also be benefiting yourself by doing this too. Essentially if you sponsor that player as a business you will be gaining extra marketing for a season for the cost of sponsoring that player which will no doubt be cheaper than any other marketing campaign. Plus you will probably feel better knowing that you are helping a player & team out whilst also getting your own benefits.
Sponsor a match day
If you can't afford to sponsor a player as I know they can be pricey at times, why not just sponsor a match day instead? These are often cheaper than a player's season long sponsorship but you are still helping the club out. Check with your local club see how much it costs and give them a hand by purchasing a match day sponsor ship package. This might be a one off or you may purchase a few match day's worth but I am sure it will feel rewarding when you see your name or your companies name in the programme and mentioned at the game knowing you have helped the club carry on going a little longer.
Share social posts
Sharing clubs content is free, so I don't understand why people don't do it more often. If you see a tweet from a club about an upcoming game or event then all you have to do is retweet or share it. It is as simple as clicking one button, no doubt not all your followers on Twitter will be local to you so they may benefit from seeing you sharing things from a variety of clubs you follow. I know that seeing other people share things from different clubs has helped me come across some great new clubs and events to attend.
Buy merchandise
This is one that is going to be harder in the women's game as they don't always offer merchandise of their own but if they do and you have spare money available please consider buying something. It could literally be a badge or a mug but that money will help the club out as it will be a bit of extra money in their pockets which they can put back into the club to help keep it running.
Attend games (when safe to do so)
When it is safe to do so head out to your local club's games, it will be cheaper and will be a totally different experience for you. Since attending the Bradford City Women games from the start of last season you can definitely see how each division is a different experience so don't miss out on trying something new. Plus you will find that often going to lower division games and women's games will be a lot cheaper than what you are used to so if you have people who want to go to a game who can't usually afford it now is the time who knows they may end up falling in love with the club and deciding to follow them. When it is safe to do so I think if Bradford Park Avenue or Brighouse men's or women's are at home when Bradford City men's or women's aren't then I will try go watch some of their games to see a different team and help support them.
Donate to any fundraising
I honestly think that there is going to be an increase in fundraising campaigns especially when you get down to none league teams and women's teams just to help teams gain extra funds to get through the upcoming campaign and raise funds to continue for future campaigns. If you see a campaign if you can donate to them then please do but if not don't just scroll past the campaign share it on your social media, just because you can't donate it doesn't mean others won't be able to if they see the fundraising campaign. Just by sharing any fundraising campaigns you see you could be showing it to a much wider audience and gain the club more donations.
I know we will be doing quite a few of these suggestions for the upcoming seasons and possibly even further into the future as the clubs really need our help and as we have found recently sometimes lower league is better than top flight and supporting your local teams is great for actually seeing live games and not just being sat in front of the TV. Plus supporting the women's game especially locally is definitely a lot cheaper and it is great seeing the club grow in front of you. Will you be helping clubs out once they get playing again?
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