SZ United FC

What SZ United FC does

SZ United FC, operating commercially as Origo FC, is a privately held grassroots children's football club based in Croydon & Sutton, United Kingdom. The club serves children aged U7 to U12 with a structured youth football programme built around twice-weekly training (one team session and one dedicated technical session branded 'Tekky Tuesdays') and weekly Saturday matchday fixtures in the Epsom & Ewell League. Its core differentiator is a 'Senza Way' coaching philosophy that combines academy-level structure with a child-first approach, delivered exclusively by paid, qualified coaches including staff with Premier League academy experience.

The business operates on a subscription-recurring revenue model, with parents registering and paying for sessions, camps, and programmes through the Class4Kids third-party booking platform. Registration and intake is managed via a website-first application process with selective trial sessions held in May and June. Other commercial touchpoints include email (MailChimp) and SMS (FireText, Text Marketer) communications for member engagement, and a recent transition from local-only sponsorships to a national kit sponsorship with Smyths Toys UK Ltd for the 2025/26 season.

The club has no proprietary technology platform; its tech stack consists entirely of third-party SaaS tools (Wix website, Class4Kids, MailChimp, FireText, Text Marketer, third-party payment processors). Operational footprint is deliberately localised: a registered address in Croydon (4 Bailey Suite, Purley Way), training at Royal Russell School in South Croydon, and matchdays at Beddington Cricket Club in Wallington. Leadership consists of Managing Director Ashley Thomas and Head of Coaching Ashley Gumbrell, with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or institutional backing.

Name

SZ United FC

Legal name

SZ United FC

Website

https://szunited.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SZ United FC (Origo FC) is a UK grassroots children's football club in Croydon & Sutton serving U7-U12 players with twice-weekly training, technical sessions, and weekly Saturday league fixtures under a child-first, academy-style coaching philosophy delivered by paid qualified coaches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Youth Football Membership: Parents register and pay for their children to attend SZ United FC training sessions and programmes through the Class4Kids booking system. Sessions include twice-weekly training (team session and technical session) plus weekly Saturday match fixtures in the Epsom & Ewell league.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SZ United FC (trading as Origo FC) delivers a grassroots youth football membership programme for children aged U7–U12 in Croydon and Sutton, comprising twice-weekly training sessions (one team session and one dedicated technical session branded "Tekky Tuesdays") and weekly Saturday matchday fixtures in the Epsom & Ewell Football League. Families apply via the website, attend trial sessions, and then book and pay through the Class4Kids online platform for ongoing membership and programme fees.

Product overview

SZ United FC (operating as Origo FC) is a children's football club offering a single integrated programme for U7-U12 age groups. The core product is the youth football programme combining twice-weekly training (team sessions and Tekky Tuesdays technical training), weekly Saturday matchday fixtures, and structured trial sessions for prospective players. The club operates in Croydon & Sutton with a child-first philosophy emphasizing development over competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Origo FC Youth Football Programme Structured grassroots football membership for children aged U7–U12 in Croydon & Sutton, delivering twice-weekly training (team session plus Tekky Tuesdays technical session) and weekly Saturday matchday fixtures in the Epsom & Ewell League, with a child-first, academy-level coaching philosophy.
• Trial Sessions Entry trial sessions held in May and June for prospective U7–U12 players and their families, where children are assessed for fit within the club environment before being offered a place in the youth football programme.
• Tekky Tuesdays Technical Training Weekly dedicated technical training session for enrolled Origo FC players, focused on accelerating individual skill development through deliberate practice in smaller spaces, distinct from the team training session.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of young players play better with positive encouragement (per England Football 'Positive Always Wins' campaign research cited by the club)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smyths Toys UK LtdcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 July 2025National toy retailer and family-oriented brand sponsoring SZ United FC's match day kits for all players. This is a significant partnership as the club previously relied on local business sponsors and has now secured a national company sponsor, indicating strong community and brand value. Every player receives a new match day kit with Smyths logo.
• Royal Russell SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary training venue partner where Thursday training sessions and some Wednesday sessions are held. The school provides facilities for the club's twice-weekly training programme including technical sessions (Tekky Tuesdays).
• Beddington Cricket ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatchday venue for weekly Saturday fixtures in the Epsom & Ewell league. Home ground for the club's competitive matches.
• Class4KidscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party booking and membership management system used for processing trial registrations, regular session bookings, camps, and club membership. Handles secure payment processing for credit/debit card transactions. The club has a contract in place requiring data security compliance.
• The Football Association (FA)minorOthersThe club operates under FA guidelines and standards. FA affiliation is indicated through references to FA-recommended practices and 'Positive Always Wins' campaign alignment.
• Epsom & Ewell Football LeaguecoreOthersCompetitive league where all SZ United FC teams (U7-U12) participate. The league readjusts team allocations based on scorelines at younger age groups after October half-term to ensure competitive and close matches.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro:Direct Soccer Schools: Pro:Direct Soccer Schools is a commercial grassroots football coaching programme in the UK offering structured training and holiday camps for children. Directly comparable subscription-based youth football model serving the same parent-paid segment.
• First Touch Football Academy: First Touch Football Academy is a UK grassroots youth football academy offering weekly coaching and league participation for children. Comparable model combining training sessions, competitive matches, and subscription-based membership for the same U7–U12 demographic.
• Football Fun Factory: Football Fun Factory runs paid football coaching classes and holiday camps across the UK for children of primary school age. Direct competitor on subscription youth football, age demographic, and UK grassroots positioning.
• Little Kickers: Little Kickers runs paid football and multi-sport classes for children aged 18 months to 7 years across the UK. Comparable subscription-based youth football model targeting the younger end of the same demographic that SZ United FC's U7 cohort serves.
• We Make Footballers: We Make Footballers is a UK-wide commercial grassroots football coaching company running paid weekly sessions and holiday camps for children aged 4–12. It is a direct competitor on subscription-based youth football coaching, target age range, and community-led acquisition model.

Others

• Class4Kids: Class4Kids is the third-party booking, membership, and payment platform SZ United FC uses for registrations and recurring subscriptions. Ecosystem enabler/platform rather than a competitor — comparable as the underlying technology and distribution layer for the youth coaching business model.

Broad incumbents

• Arsenal Soccer Schools: Arsenal Soccer Schools offers structured football coaching for children across London and the South East, leveraging the Arsenal brand. Broad incumbent offering comparable academy-style youth football but with Premier League-level brand and facility advantages.
• Crystal Palace Foundation: Crystal Palace Foundation runs community football programmes across South London, including Croydon and Sutton where SZ United FC operates. Direct incumbent competitor providing free/subsidised grassroots coaching to the same U7–U12 demographic, creating downward pressure on willingness to pay.
• Tottenham Hotspur Soccer Schools: Tottenham Hotspur Soccer Schools provides structured coaching programmes and holiday camps for children using Premier League coaching methodologies. Broad incumbent offering comparable academy-style football coaching at scale across the London area.
• Chelsea FC Foundation: Chelsea FC Foundation runs subsidised and free grassroots football programmes across London including South London. Broad incumbent offering overlapping youth football coaching for similar age groups, but heavily subsidised by Premier League broadcasting revenue rather than operating as a community-paid subscription club.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/szunitedfc
• Instagraminstagram.com/origofc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SZ United FC