Cash advances for UK football clubs.
For lower-league football clubs, semi-professional sides, and community grounds. Funded against your card takings, matchday, bar, club shop, events. Built for clubs running tight budgets season-to-season.
A note on club structure and the lender panel
Football clubs can have unusual ownership, governance, and compliance requirements. Expect lenders to ask for articles of association, owner identification, any FA/league financial regulations that apply, and trading entity structure. Some clubs run through CIC, CIO, trust, Ltd, or unincorporated association structures. Clean trading entity, clean accounts, and clarity of directorship are essential. Panel for football is narrower than general hospitality.
What MCA means for a lower-league football club.
Lower-league football clubs (National League, Step 2-6 non-league, academy and reserve setups) typically run card-paid matchday income (tickets, bar, food, programmes, club shop), non-matchday events (weddings, corporate, community hire), and sponsor takings. Card volume is sharp peaks on matchdays, thin troughs between. Revenue shape follows the football season, peaking September-May. MCA uses: pre-season working capital, squad investment, ground or facility improvements, training kit and equipment, community programme costs, promotion-push or survival-fight one-off spend.
Sound familiar?
Pre-season squad and preparation costs.
Pre-season training camp, new signings' fees, kit, coach costs, £15k to £60k of June-July spend before season card takings resume.
MCA bridges pre-season. Season start in August restarts matchday card flow; repayment tracks the season.
Promotion push, late-season reinforcements.
Loan signings, bonuses, squad strengthening, £10k to £40k of mid-season investment to chase promotion or stay up.
MCA funds the push. If it works, promotion unlocks bigger takings the following season; if it doesn't, the advance still repays from ongoing card flow.
Stadium or facility improvement.
Changing rooms, floodlight LED conversion, terracing refresh, hospitality area upgrade, £20k to £80k of improvement spend.
MCA for the working capital side. Major stadium capital usually better served by a term loan or grant-funded capital. Hybrid common.
Here's what it actually costs.
A National League South club borrows £25,000 for pre-season and squad investment. Monthly card takings: £18,000 average (£30k peak matchdays, £5k close season). Daily repayment % flexes to 14% during season and 6% close season. £25,000. Average monthly card takings £18,000. Fixed cost 1.28. 14% daily repayment % on card sales, total cost £7,000.
These figures are illustrative. If a term loan or asset finance fits your situation better, we'll tell you.
Open the fixed cost calculator →Work out the real cost.
New businesses typically start at a higher daily % and a shorter term.
Illustrative only, not a quote.
- Advance£25,000
- vs card takings139%
- Fixed cost1.28
- Daily repayment£83
- Avg monthly£2,520
- Est. term12.7 months
Illustrative. The fixed cost is set on day one; daily repayment varies with takings. Term capped at 18 months.
Illustrative only, not a quote. Every figure here is subject to the funder. Funders advance anywhere from 100% up to 150% of monthly card takings, so 150% is not guaranteed, and the fixed cost is not guaranteed either. Your actual advance, fixed cost and terms depend on the funder and your business profile.
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£20,000 funded pre-season and community programme launch, repaid across a full season.
Illustrative composite. National League North club, £15k/mo card takings season-average (matchday, bar, club shop). MCA at 1.27 factor, flex daily repayment % (15% during season, 7% off-season). Pre-season funded, community programme launched September, gate receipts lifted 18%, advance fully repaid across 11 months of the season.
Illustrative composite scenarioLower-league football clubs, quick answers.
The panel is narrow. Clubs with professional governance, clean accounts, and stable trading can fund. Volatile ownership structures, material losses, or league compliance issues make funding difficult. Operators need to present professionally.
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