GoCardless has deepened its support for grassroots football after partnering with 15 County Football Associations (FA) across England, with another six set to follow in the coming months.
As part of the partnerships, Gloucestershire FA’s Girls Coaching Centre will be renamed the GoCardless Girls Coaching Centre. A new GoCardless Hardship Fund will also be launched, providing financial bursaries to Girls Coaching Centre players from low-income backgrounds to help remove financial barriers and increase access to local team sport.
Meanwhile, GoCardless will support St Peter’s Sports Hub in Northumberland, the largest grassroots football facility in the Northeast. The payments company will also host workshops for disability football coaches to help improve access to the game for players with disabilities.
In addition, Sussex FA’s headquarters and the home of Lancing FC, Culver Road, will be renamed the GoCardless Stadium. GoCardless will also sponsor Surrey FA’s Women’s Cup and Discriminated Background Cup. Both initiatives aim to reinforce its commitment to making football accessible to everyone.
Additional partnerships include Cambridgeshire FA, Chesire FA, Derbyshire FA, Hampshire FA, Kent FA, Leicestershire & Rutland FA, London FA, Middlesex FA, Norfolk FA, Oxfordshire FA and Somerset FA.
The partnerships are built on the principle that GoCardless’ payment solutions will help local teams spend less time chasing fees and more time fostering community, confidence and lifelong healthy habits through football.
For example, these football clubs will be able to use GoCardless’ Direct Debit capabilities for recurring payments, such as collecting regular subs, and combine them with open banking payments for one-off transactions like tournament registrations or fees from red and yellow cards.
The GoCardless platform is designed to help clubs automate collections, improve visibility over their finances and forecast income more accurately. By offering a transparent pricing model and enabling payments without traditional card fees, the platform aims to support clubs in managing costs and maintaining financial stability.
Catherine Birkett, CFO at GoCardless, said: “We believe County FAs play a vital role in their communities. They support football clubs in bringing people together, forging friendships, and developing the stars of the future,”
“By streamlining their payment processes, we’re gifting clubs, their staff and volunteers that precious time back to focus on what truly matters – making a positive impact both on and off the pitch.”
The new partnerships build on GoCardless’ commitment to grassroots sport, which has been strengthened in recent years.
Earlier this year, it expanded its partnership with Kent FA, becoming the Official County Cups Sponsor for adult competitions, building on a 2024 collaboration focused on promoting women’s and girls’ football in the county.
Last year, GoCardless also partnered with Total Grassroots and kit manufacturer Kelme to help improve the financial sustainability of local clubs.