Grassroot’s Secret Lifeline: Meet the CEO Fighting for Football’s Future

With the announcement of an independent football regulator taking charge of English football, the government hopes to usher in an era of sustainability throughout the football pyramid. And a new industry is stepping in to bridge the gap.

‘Clubs are heavily reliant on Owner funding… the speed of collapse can be incredibly fast’

Joshua Price is the CEO of Goal Assist, one of the leading innovators of said industry. Helping EFL clubs to gain financial stability only seen within the Brighton’s and Brentford’s of Premier League wealth.

‘Goal Assist is part of a wider movement working to strengthen governance and support clubs in navigating increasingly complex financial and regulatory demands’

And he’s not wrong, English football is fast becoming one of the most strictly regulated leagues in the world, and the rules are only getting tighter as more clubs reach the brink of extinction.

Goal Assist works with clubs to restructure financially, allowing them to run off their own cashflows and rely less on the millionaire owners cheque book.

But it's not only football clubs relying on this industry.

‘A good example is the work we did with MPs and government officials during the development of the Football Governance Bill’ The hope is that working with these companies to create the regulations bridges the seemingly large disconnect between governing bodies and its clubs, and help prevent another Macclesfield Town or Bury FC.

It is a young, fresh industry that could only be navigated by a young, fresh entrepreneur, and Joshua Price doesn’t see his age as a pitfall.

‘Occasionally people who haven’t met me before may form an initial impression, but once they understand the work I do and the way I communicate those concerns disappear very quickly’ Joshua’s age does by no means equal a lack of experience, having grown up within a family business before getting a Football Business degree and working directly in the EFL.

But, Football clubs are businesses like no other, and even with the impressive CV, Joshua still had some lessons to learn. ‘One of the hardest parts was learning how to structure offers and business models in a way that created sustainable cashflow and long term value for clubs… Once I understood the real value came from ongoing relationships the whole business model changed’

But as Goal Assist grows stronger roots within the lower leagues, Joshua has hope for the future whilst emphasising the work still ahead for clubs. ‘I am optimistically cautious. This is not a magic solution and the industry still has a long way to go… but I trust the people inside the regulator and believe they will have a positive impact over time’

Sheffield Wednesday likely won't be the last club to suffer the fate of administration, but one thing is for sure, with companies like Goal Assist seeing rapid growth and importance, the tide is beginning to turn for grassroots English football, and the future has looked brighter than ever before.