Custom Changing Rooms – The Business Revolutionising Non-League Changing Rooms

Custom Changing Rooms make non-league footballers feel like they’re about to play a cup final at Wembley before every game by transforming changing rooms, making them professional quality.

I had the opportunity to talk to the founder, Joel Hobbs about what the business does, how far he wants to take it, as well as a secret massive project that he is working to secure.

Custom Changing Rooms was founded by former footballer Joel Hobbs, who I had the opportunity to speak with for The Business of Football.

“I just wanted to try to get back into it [football], with a way of making it a bit more professional for non-league clubs.

“When I played it was cold and not the best in the changing rooms, but that’s all you had to work with. I thought, how can I get involved without coaching or managing.

“And it was a case of just getting in and renovating a changing room and making it more professional. New safety floors, little box seats, lights, floor graphics.”

Joel also talks about the importance of understanding the game and understanding the club, and how that translates into his best work:

“That’s the passion of it… I want to meet the chairman, I want to meet the players, I want to be part of the club going forward and help that club go forward.”

When asked about the impact of a professional changing room on the club’s performance:

“Massive. Massive, I think. Weve done two local clubs, Wellington and Bromyard. I played at Bromyard for seven years… I said it needs a revamp, it’s the original, it needs a lift.

“I renovated it, and they’ve gone and won the league, they’re pushing on. Wellington, same again. It was a bit dated. Won the league, couple of cups, it just pushes you on.”

Custom Changing Rooms have renovated more than ten football changing rooms, as well as cricket, rugby, leisure and school changing rooms.

On the topic of his favourite projects, Joel outlined his former club Bromyard as well as Racing Club Warwick, “where we are now is probably going to be one of the best ones because this project at Racing Club Warwick Football Club was a tennis club, so I’ve built it from scratch.

“Six changing rooms, hospitality, classrooms. And I get to put my own stamp on all of it. I’ve put a bit of a wow factor on this home changing room. This will be up there as well going forward, because of that.”

When asked about the most challenging aspect of running Custom Changing Rooms, Joel said:

“Trying to get to every club, to view it. Because we get constant messages, how much for our changing room? I don’t know the state of it; I don’t know the size of it. And there is a lot of travelling. I couldn’t get to the majority of the clubs.”

The future is looking bright for Custom Changing Rooms and Joel highlighted his plans for the next five years and gave a bit of insight into a project he is hoping to secure:

“Big. This is a big project for us, massive. I can’t say much but I’ve just quoted one that’s a massive step forward for us and it will push us onto even more bigger projects.

“From all the little changing rooms we’ve done, it’s all coming together now, where we are moving onto big projects. In five years, I want to be pushing more of what we’re doing now, big projects.”

Custom Changing Rooms is a rare business that is shining a light on the often forgotten-about non-league football in Britain - the backbone of the football pyramid.

You can find Custom Changing Rooms at their website here.