Ashford United FC

What Ashford United FC does

Ashford United FC is a semi-professional English football club based in Ashford, Kent, founded in 1890 as Ashford Town FC and rebranded in 2024. The club competes in the Isthmian League South East Division (Step 8 of the English football pyramid) and operates a multi-tier football offering: a senior Men's First Team, a Ladies First Team in the London and South East Regional Women's League, a U23 development team, and an extensive youth structure spanning U8s to U18s across six youth leagues (ADYL, EKYL, FDYL, KYL, KGL, JPL). Additional product lines include a Post-16 Academy launching in September 2026 in partnership with the Gillingham FC Foundation (delivering an NCFE Level 3 Diploma alongside professional football coaching), Monday Night Academy sessions and holiday camps for ages 4–14 run with Barry Fuller Football Academy, and the Samara Venue — a luxury event space inside the Green Box Stadium available for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations.

The club monetizes through a community-led go-to-market combining matchday and season tickets, sponsorship and naming rights (Green Box Recycling Kent holds stadium naming rights), event venue hire, academy and camp fees (processed via TeamFeePay), an online merchandise shop (in development), ticketed events (via Eventbrite), and supporter communications via Mailchimp. Distribution is domestic UK-only and centered on a single owned venue — the Green Box Stadium (formerly Homelands) in Kingsnorth, Ashford — supplemented by a digital presence across website, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube (Nuts & Bolts TV), and a club podcast. No disclosed revenue, no institutional investment, and no parent company; ownership is private with joint owners referenced (Lloyd Hume and Dave) following a 2024 ownership transition.

Operationally, the club has gone through significant turnover: three first-team managerial changes between May 2024 and December 2025 (Danny Kedwell → Craig Stone as interim → Craig Stone permanent), a Director of Football transition (Alan Walker stepping back in September 2025 with Barry Fuller appointed Head of Football Development), and a March 2026 separation from Ladies First Team Manager Steve Howard alongside the appointment of Mark Mason as Women's Chairman to drive long-term women's football development.

Name

Ashford United FC

Legal name

Ashford United Football Club

Website

https://ashfordunitedfc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ashford United FC is a semi-professional English football club in Ashford, Kent, competing in the Isthmian League South East Division. It operates men's, ladies', U23, and youth teams (U8–U18), plus a Post-16 Academy, holiday camps, and an event venue at its Green Box Stadium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-league semi-professional football club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Non-league football
• Youth football development
• Football academy
• Stadium venue hire
• Matchday programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from matchday tickets for men's, ladies', and youth fixtures. Season tickets provide access to all home league games.
2. Stadium Sponsorship: Partnership with Green Box Recycling Kent as official stadium sponsor with stadium rebranded as Green Box Stadium
3. Venue Hire: Samara Venue event space available for weddings, birthdays, awards ceremonies, corporate events at The Green Box Stadium
4. Merchandise/Shop: Online shop for club merchandise (coming soon)
5. Academy Programs: Post-16 Academy with Gillingham FC Foundation partnership offering education and football development
6. Holiday Camps: Football camps for children aged 4-14 run in partnership with Barry Fuller Football Academy

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ashford United FC is a semi-professional non-league football club that fields a Men's First Team in the Isthmian League South East Division and a Ladies First Team in the London and South East Counties League. It sells matchday tickets, season tickets, and stadium sponsorship; operates an extensive youth football pathway (U8s-U18s) across multiple leagues; runs a Post-16 Academy in partnership with The Gillingham FC Foundation; offers Monday Night coaching sessions and school-holiday football camps for ages 4-14; and hires out the Samara Venue event space at The Green Box Stadium for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations.

Product overview

Ashford United FC is a non-league football club competing in the Isthmian League South East Division. The club operates a multi-tiered offering centered on its Men's and Ladies First Teams, supported by an extensive youth development programme spanning U8s to U18s across multiple leagues. The club has expanded into education with its Post 16 Academy (partnered with Gillingham FC Foundation) providing a two-year football and academic programme. Additional revenue streams include the Samara Venue event space, match programmes, season tickets, and an upcoming online shop. The club also runs the Monday Night Academy and holiday camps through a partnership with Barry Fuller Football Academy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Men's First Team

Quantifiable outcome

• Gary Lockyer scored 10 goals in FA Cup campaign, winning Golden Ball

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Gillingham FC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Post-16 Academy partnership commencing September 2026. Students gain access to professional club environment, GFC staff mentorship, Q&A sessions with professional players and coaches, and opportunity to play at Priestfield Stadium. Two-year programme combining NCFE Level 3 Diploma with football development.
• Samara VenuesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 December 2024The Samara Venue at Homelands is a luxury event space operated by the club for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, and awards ceremonies. Available for hire to the public.
• Green Box Recycling KentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Green Box Recycling Kent became the official stadium sponsor of Ashford United FC. The stadium was rebranded as the Green Box Stadium. The partnership includes commitment to community values and environmental sustainability. The stadium was recently repainted in line with the new sponsorship.
• Greene KingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 June 2024Partnership for Euro 2024 viewing at Homelands stadium. Free pints promotion with Greene King beers during the European Championships.
• Her Game ToominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2024Ladies team partnership with Her Game Too campaign to promote football as a game for all and encourage females into the sport. Campaign works to stamp out gender discrimination in football and champion women in all roles.
• Barry Fuller Football AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Monday Night Academy and Summer/Holiday Camps for children aged 4-14. Barry Fuller is Head of Football Development at the club with over 500 FL appearances and UEFA B Licence coaching qualification.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Margate FC: Isthmian League club based in Margate, Kent. Comparable as a same-tier non-league football club on the South East coast of England.
• Hythe Town FC: Isthmian League club based in Hythe, Kent. Comparable as a same-tier non-league football club serving a small Kent coastal community.
• Ramsgate FC: Isthmian League club based in Ramsgate, Kent. Directly comparable same-tier non-league club where Ashford United's manager Craig Stone previously played.
• Chatham Town FC: Isthmian League club based in Chatham, Kent. Comparable as a same-tier non-league club, and notably the previous club of former Ashford United manager Danny Kedwell and assistant Dean Beckwith.
• Sittingbourne FC: Isthmian League club based in Sittingbourne, Kent. Comparable as a same-tier non-league football club operating in the Kent region.
• Folkestone Invicta: Isthmian League club based in Folkestone, Kent. Directly comparable as a same-tier non-league football club in Kent competing in the same league structure.

Regional players

• Dartford FC: National League club based in Dartford, Kent. Comparable as another Kent-based non-league/EFL-adjacent club that played a pre-season friendly with Ashford United.
• Ebbsfleet United: National League South club based in Northfleet, Kent. Comparable as a Kent-area club sharing the same regional supporter base and competition pathway.
• Maidstone United: National League South club based in Maidstone, Kent. Comparable as a Kent-based football club that played a pre-season friendly with Ashford United and competes in the same regional catchment.

Emerging players

• Dulwich Hamlet FC: Isthmian League Premier Division club based in South London. Comparable as a community-focused non-league club with strong volunteer base and identity-driven brand, similar ethos to Ashford United.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AshfordUnitedFC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NutsandBoltsTV-kw1ru
• Facebookfacebook.com/AshfordUnitedFC
• Instagraminstagram.com/ashfordunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ashford-united-football-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ashford United FC