Sports clubs should take advantage of summer football tournaments
The build up to the Women’s Euro’s is soon to be in full swing.
The Government have announced that pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am if England or Wales reach the finals stage of the UEFA Women’s European Football Championships. As the reigning champions of the competition, and the World Cup runners up, there are high expectations for the Lionesses to go far into the tournament.
Last orders are typically 11pm for pubs, which will be pushed back if either home nation reaches the semi-finals or final. The two semi-finals will take place on 22nd and 23rd July, and the final taking place on Sunday 27th July.
Extending hours is not uncommon – pub opening hours were also extended for the Men’s Euros final and semi-finals in 2024.
How sports clubs and social clubs can take advantage of the Women’s Euros
The Euros tournament is expected to provide a huge boost to local businesses through food and drink sales, as well as community watch parties. Matchdays at the last Men’s Euros and World Cup triggered big uplifts in trading for lager and beer, the stats show, Drink sales were 14% higher on 2022 world cup matchdays than on equivalent days.
This year, we want clubs to maximise their take for the Women’s game. The Women’s game also attracts a more family-friendly atmosphere, so perhaps tailoring any event towards families would be advisable.
At Club Insure, in our mission to safeguard club finances and support clients, we’ve looked at ways in which clubs can best take advantage of the Women’s Euros Tournament:
Display the Euro’s Tournament and Advertise to the local community
Many football fans will want to watch the Euro’s, and the best local spots to watch sports are at community sports clubs and social clubs. With family-friendly atmosphere, affordable drinks, and a good viewing experience, what can be better than watching the game at a community club.
Sports and social clubs feature the best beer gardens, which can be decorated as an ideal viewing area for outdoor viewing. Set up a projector and speaker system to benefit your patrons.
For hosting a viewing event or watch party, club’s may need to increase their liability insurance temporarily. This will help insure you when hiring equipment or for adverse weather and event cancellation cover. Check out Watch Party Insurance here or contact us at Club Insure for guidance.
For 10 tips to make your Euro Tournament Party a success, see here – 10 tips to a successful Euro 2024 event
Run a Euro’s tournament
Many sports clubs and social clubs will have fields or pitches available on their premises. Whether it’s 5-a-side, 7-a-side or 11-a-side why not run a football tournament. Different nations could be allocated to different teams, with a small prize for the winning team in a kickout tournament.
Fun for all ages, running a sports tournament event is ideal for bringing together the community and maximise spend at your premises. Combine the tournament with Euro’s matchdays to keep people at your club for longer. This can then help in advertising your club to the local community, showing off facilities and building visitorship.
For guidance, Read Insure Our Event’s Complete guide to organising a sports tournament.
Kickstarting a women’s football team
Utilising the power and draw of the Women’s Euros, sport clubs and social clubs should look toward forming a women’s or girls football team.
When the Lionesses won the 2022 Euro’s Tournament, 17.4 million viewers were watching simultaneously, making it the UK’s biggest TV event of the year with 80% of all TV viewers glued to the channel, topping the Queen’s Jubilee. There is clearly a desire for football in the upcoming generation of young females, and the more women’s football is shown and advertised, the more inspired our girls will become.
At Club Insure we’ve put together seven steps clubs need to consider in order to kickstart their own women’s football team, including registration, accreditation and advertising strategies.
