Player First Football Scholarship Fund

Aim

To fund free 1-2-1 coaching for talented young players who can't afford it. Because potential shouldn't be limited by your postcode.

Who are we?

Player First is an individual football coaching business based in London and the South East, founded by a UEFA qualified coach with 25 years of experience at the highest levels of the game — including roles as a Category 1 academy coach and scout, Head of Sport at a leading independent school, and current non-league manager at Step 4. In that time, we have helped over 50 young players earn professional academy contracts. We deliver 1-2-1 technical coaching sessions tailored entirely to the individual — their position, their weaknesses, their goals. We also run a girls' technical development centre, because we believe this sport belongs to everyone.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Quality 1-2-1 football coaching is one of the most powerful tools for individual player development. It's also one of the most inaccessible. Private coaching is expensive, and the families who can afford it are often already the most advantaged. That creates a system where the best development opportunities consistently go to the same players — not because they're the most talented, but because someone was able to pay. We're crowdfunding to break that cycle. Every pound raised will go directly towards fully funded coaching sessions for young players in the London and South East area who have genuine potential but no financial means to access professional coaching. This isn't charity. It's investment in talent that would otherwise go unseen.

How we'll spend the money raised

Every penny raised will be used to fund free coaching sessions for young players identified as unable to access private coaching due to financial hardship. Here's how the budget breaks down:

— Coaching sessions — the majority of funds will directly cover the cost of 1-2-1 sessions delivered free of charge to selected players, typically in blocks of six to ten sessions per player so that real progress can be made rather than one-off experiences.

— Equipment — cones, balls, bibs and training aids to ensure every session is delivered to the same standard as our paid programme.

— Venue hire — where sessions cannot be delivered on a public pitch, a small portion will cover 3G or indoor facility hire to ensure year-round access regardless of weather.

No funds will be used for marketing, profit or business overheads. This pot exists solely to get young players on the pitch.

Community impact

Football is one of the most powerful forces for good in any community — building confidence, discipline, teamwork and resilience in young people who need it most. Player First's funded coaching programme will directly benefit young players aged 7–16 across the London and South East area who would not otherwise access individual coaching. But the impact goes further than the individual. A player who develops confidence on the pitch carries that into school, into relationships and into their wider life. We've seen it time and again across 25 years of coaching — the child who found their voice through football, the teenager who turned a corner because someone believed in them. We also run a girls' technical development centre, actively working to close the gender gap in access to high-quality football coaching. Our programme is open to all, regardless of background, ability level or gender. We believe the next great player could come from anywhere. We just need to make sure they get the chance.

How you can play your part

Make a pledge. Every contribution, however small, goes directly towards a young player's development. Don't wait — momentum matters and every pledge brings us closer to our target.Spread the word. Share our page on social media and tell your network. The more people who hear about this, the more young players we can reach. Tag us and help us grow.Offer rewards. If you're a local business and want to get involved, we'd love to hear from you. Donate something we can offer to our supporters and we'll shout you out to our community.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th November 2026 at 9:34am