Devon and Cornwall grassroots sports clubs struggle with rising costs

Elburton Villa FC chairman Kevin Treeby says the cost of living crisis has put significant pressure on grassroots sport

Some sports clubs in Devon and Cornwall say they are struggling with soaring prices.

Kick-off times are starting earlier to avoid turning on flood-lights and clubs are battling price increases in transport, maintenance and food.

Plymouth's Elburton Villa FC said every game was a struggle to pay officials and cover the players' expenses.

The club said families were also in "dire straits for money" and spectator numbers were in decline.

Kevin Treeby, club chairman, said: "We're haemorrhaging money.

"It just worries me that one day the money is going to run out."

Steve Martyn and Kevin Treeby, from Elburton Villa FC, are concerned players will drop out of the sport as incomes fall

Mr Treeby said declining spectator numbers and a lack of new sponsors had deprived his club of new revenue to cover the shortfall, while soaring inflation had caused a reduction in profits from the bar and canteen.

He said any attempt to address the shortfall by hiking prices would only deter more people from watching games.

"Because people don't have a spare £5, they won't come and watch local sport," he said.

"Some families can afford to chuck in an extra fiver, but there are a lot of families in dire straits for money."

Spectator revenue is falling at Elburton Villa FC

Vice-chairman Steve Martyn, who oversees the club's junior division, said: "If parents are having to cut back, normally leisure is the first thing they tend to cut back on, so it's a concerning time, not only for the football clubs, but for children around the country.

"The biggest thing for us is to get children into football, to be active and to try and maintain participation levels as they grow into adults."

He said he feared if players dropped out, so would volunteers.

Elburton Villa FC is playing earlier games to avoid turning on the floodlights.

In the club canteen, Lesley Woolcocks has been serving teas and coffees for 11 years.

She said this year would likely be her last as she moves on, but questioned whether anyone would take over.

"Who else is going to do it? That's the problem," she said.

Mr Treeby said he feared the club might not see its 50th anniversary in 2032 on the direction it was going.

Lesley Woolcocks has been volunteering in the Elburton Villa FC canteen for 11 years

"We're one of the largest grassroots clubs in Plymouth," he said.

"If a club like us were to disappear, we've got in excess of 400 members, so that's 400 people not joining the sport they love so much."

Elsewhere, Kingsbridge Rugby Football Club, in Devon, which has 500 active players, said it had to make difficult decisions as costs increased.

Treasurer Tim Jones said: "We decided as a committee to try and support members by not putting up membership fees this season, which is the right thing to do.

"We froze membership but inflation has taken everything up by 10%."

'No jackpot'

Mr Jones said the club was paying more for "literally everything, from the cost of fertiliser to table cloths in the function room".

"We have some cash reserves, but I think we'll deplete them, frankly," he said.

"It's not like the Premiership, where if you win, you hit the jackpot.

"There is no jackpot."

Chairman Ian Brooking said he was concerned sponsorships would start to drop off as businesses faced their own financial problems.

"If you're struggling yourself, can you afford to give the rugby club £200?," he said.

Kingsbridge RFC froze membership fees to help players struggling with the cost of living crisis

Mr Jones said there was limited financial help for clubs outside the existing pool of grants.

Devon Football Association, the governing body of football in the county, said "it's a very difficult situation" for grassroots sport.

"We're very much at the start of the cost of living crisis," chief operating officer Chris French said.

'Safe places'

"Over the next three to six months, potentially, we'll see more of an issue with participation as disposable income starts to lower for families.

"It might be a choice of what families have to let go of when it comes to [subscription fees] or food.

"Local sports clubs, especially in Devon, are hubs of the community.

"They are more than just a football club, they are safe places for people."

While some clubs are facing increases in energy bills, others have managed to secure fixed deals, such as Helston Athletic, in Cornwall.

Chairman Paul Hendy, who used to work in the energy sector, said: "It was a combination of forethought, good planning and, if I'm being honest, a bit of luck.

"Other clubs haven't been as lucky."

Helston Athletic's chairman Paul Hendy and treasurer Sandra Egan

"One area where we have seen a significant impact is in the cost of coach hire," Mr Hendy said.

"Where we were paying £600-£700 for an away game [to Bristol] … those costs have now risen to over £1,000."

Steve Morley, the treasurer of Cornwall club Saltash United FC, who also managed to fix the club's energy bills, said unavoidable expenses such as fertiliser for the pitch had "gone through the roof".

"We're trying to keep the costs as low as possible because we're still trying to keep people and give them an enjoyable couple of hours.

"We don't want to rip people off because they'll never come back."

'Proactively monitor'

Nationally, the Football Association said it was investing £53m into local clubs in the 2022-2023 season.

It said: "We have identified the club network and grassroots workforce as priority areas and will continue to work with every segment of the game to understand how we can best support and serve them as we move forward.

"We are also aware of and will continue to proactively monitor the effect of the current cost of living on grassroots football."

A spokesman from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "We provided an unprecedented £1bn to ensure the survival of the grassroots, professional sport and leisure sectors during the pandemic.

"We know grassroots sports organisations are again under pressure, which is why we have introduced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. It will mean they pay wholesale energy costs well below half of expected prices this winter."