We Make Footballers

What We Make Footballers does

We Make Footballers Ltd is a UK-based youth football coaching company that operates a franchise network of 100+ academy locations across the United Kingdom and has expanded into Dubai with a US franchise offering. The company serves children aged 4-12 through a structured weekly training curriculum aligned to national coaching standards, supplemented by holiday camps, birthday parties, 1-on-1 private coaching (£60 per session or £200 for a block of four), and an invite-only elite "Performance" program (£20 per week plus a £95 one-time kit fee) that claims 300+ placements into professional football academies.

The core technology layer consists of a proprietary coaching methodology with a yearly syllabus aligned to the national curriculum, a VeoCam automated session-recording system used for coaching analysis, player development, safeguarding, and parent review, and a parent portal/booking system for session management. Operational infrastructure includes payment processing via Stripe and recurring direct-debit collection via GoCardless, with kits supplied under a Nike partnership and merchandise sold through Kit Locker and a dedicated online store. The business model is primarily franchise-based: the central company licenses the brand, methodology, and operational playbook to local operators who run academy sessions in their territories, while the central entity captures revenue from franchise fees, performance program subscriptions, merchandise, and B2B partnerships.

Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer booking through the company website (with postcode-based academy search and free trial offers), a school partnerships channel for in-school delivery, event-driven demand generation through holiday camps and birthday parties, and a multi-channel marketing approach spanning Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter, the Project Footballer podcast, Trustpilot reviews, and brand partnerships with McDonald's, Chelsea FC, Spotify, Vodafone, Leo Burnett, and Camp Bestival. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no institutional investment rounds disclosed.

Name

We Make Footballers

Legal name

We Make Footballers Ltd

Website

https://wemakefootballers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

We Make Footballers Ltd is a UK-based youth football coaching franchise operating 100+ academy locations serving children aged 4-12 with weekly training, holiday camps, 1-on-1 coaching, and an elite Performance program that has placed 300+ players into professional academies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Football Coaching Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team & Club Coaching (seasonal team coaching) (HSADAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport-Specific Private Coaching & Instruction (1:1, Small Group) (MPAKAJAE), Team & School Athletic Uniforms Retail (CRAMACAJ)

Keywords

• Youth football coaching
• Children's sports training
• Football academy services
• School sports programmes
• Football franchise network

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond Upon Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Weekly Training Subscriptions: Recurring weekly coaching sessions for children aged 4-12 at local academies. Parents subscribe to weekly sessions.
2. 1-on-1 Private Coaching: Premium individual coaching sessions at £60 per session or £200 for block of 4. Delivered by senior We Make Footballers certified coaches.
3. Holiday Camps: Seasonal intensive training programs during school holidays. Provides additional revenue during peak periods.
4. Birthday Parties: Football-themed birthday party packages at local venues.
5. Performance Program: Elite training program at £20 per week plus £95 initial kit fee. Invite-only program for advanced players.
6. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including Nike kits sold through Kit Locker and official WMF Merch store.
7. Scouting Services: Session and event footage shared with professional football clubs for talent identification. Available through consent at registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

We Make Footballers provides professional football coaching for children aged 4-12 across 100+ UK academy locations, structured around a yearly syllabus aligned to the national curriculum. The core offering is weekly group training sessions, supplemented by premium 1-on-1 private coaching, an invite-only elite Performance programme, holiday camps, birthday party packages, competitive league/team pathways, and B2B school partnership delivery. Branded merchandise is sold via an online shop.

Product overview

We Make Footballers operates a multi-service youth football coaching platform offering structured training programmes for children aged 4-12. The core offering consists of Weekly Training sessions at 150+ UK locations, supplemented by Holiday Camps during school breaks and Birthday Party packages. Premium offerings include 1-on-1 private coaching (£60/session) and the invite-only Performance programme for elite players (£20/week + £95 kit fee). The company also provides competitive pathways through Foundation League and Teams, school partnerships for B2B delivery, and retail through its Merch/Kit Store. The Performance programme has a documented track record of placing 300+ players into professional academies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Performance: An invite-only elite football training program for advanced players aged 4-12, featuring 90-minute sessions with world-class coaches, designed to help players reach professional academy level.

Products and services

• Weekly Training Regular weekly football coaching sessions for children aged 4-12, delivered at 100+ We Make Footballers academy locations across the UK, built on a yearly syllabus aligned to the national curriculum.
• Holiday Camps Seasonal football coaching programmes delivered during school holidays, providing intensive multi-day training for children when regular weekly training is not in session.
• Birthday Parties Football-themed birthday party packages offering coaching-led activities and celebrations for children at local We Make Footballers venues.
• 1-on-1 Training Personalised private football coaching sessions delivered by senior coaches holding FA Level 3 qualification or comparable experience, plus the We Make Footballers 1-on-1 Coaching Badge. Priced at £60 per single session or £200 for a block of 4 sessions.
• Performance Programme Invite-only elite training programme featuring 90-minute sessions with a maximum of 16 players, focusing on technical work, conditioning, awareness, and attacking/defending principles to help advanced players reach professional academy level. Priced at £20 per week plus a £95 one-time kit fee; 300+ players have progressed into professional academies.
• Foundation League Structured competitive league enabling players to apply skills developed in We Make Footballers weekly training in formal match conditions.
• Teams Organised team structures enabling players to compete as part of a team within the We Make Footballers network.
• School Training (School Partnerships) Football coaching programmes delivered in partnership with schools, bringing structured WMF training directly into educational institutions as a B2B service.
• Fun Flair Festivals One-day festival-style events combining football activities and entertainment for children.
• WMF Merch / Kit Store Official We Make Footballers merchandise including branded clothing and Nike-supplied performance kits sold through the online shop and Kit Locker.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ players helped into professional football academies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McDonald'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership providing prime exposure to families with children. McDonald's logo appears on partnerships page alongside other major brands.
• Chelsea FCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional football club partnership providing credibility and visibility for the academy brand.
• SpotifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership with music streaming platform for cross-promotional activities.
• VodafoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelecommunications brand partnership for promotional activities and visibility.
• Camp BestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily festival partnership for event-based visibility and community engagement.
• VeocoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo recording technology provider for VeoCam automated session recording system used for coaching analysis, performance tracking, and scout footage sharing.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPCI-DSS compliant payment processor for secure payment processing and recurring billing.
• GoCardlesscoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor for recurring payment collection and automatic retry processing for failed payments.
• NikecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKit supplier providing official WMF performance kits including Nike Park VII Dri-FIT Shirts, Nike Park III Shorts, and Nike Classic II Socks sold through Kit Locker.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wmfootballers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WeMakeFootballers
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeMakeFootballers
• Instagraminstagram.com/wemakefootballers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-make-footballers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about We Make Footballers