Manchester Laces

Name

Manchester Laces

Legal name

Laces Community Club Ltd.

Website

https://manchesterlaces.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Manchester Laces is a Manchester-based grassroots football club founded in 2021 by Helen Hardy, serving women, non-binary, and transgender adults through eight or more teams, membership subscriptions, pay-as-you-go sessions, merchandise, and corporate sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Standard membership at £25 providing access to weekly 1.5-hour training sessions at Hough End. Price reductions available for players who need financial support with fees.
2. Pay-as-you-go Sessions: Casual sessions available for non-members on Mondays and Wednesdays. Booked via website or app. Full refund available for cancellations 48+ hours in advance.
3. Kit and Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded Manchester Laces kits and merchandise through Foudys.com. Kits are personalised and can be kept by players.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnerships with sponsors including Puma, Arowak Walton, City In The Community, Nomad Studios, and Avery Dennison to provide equipment and support sustainability.
5. Online Store: E-commerce transactions processed through Squarespace online store. Payment details handled by third-party processors (PayPal) to prevent fraud.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Manchester Laces runs weekly inclusive football training sessions and competitive league teams for women, non-binary, and transgender adults aged 18 and above in Manchester. Offerings span beginner pay-as-you-go sessions, structured membership training, the Inclusive Football Collective (IFC) 7-a-side league, 9-a-side FA Flexi League, 11-a-side Sunday League squads (Yellow and Blue teams), and walking football. The club also sells branded kits/merchandise and offers corporate consultancy and workplace wellbeing services.

Product overview

Manchester Laces is a community football club offering a portfolio of football programmes and services. Core offerings include weekly training sessions at multiple venues (Hough End Leisure Centre and Whalley Range Sports Centre) across various formats: 7-a-side (Inclusive Football Collective League), 9-a-side (Flexi League), and 11-a-side (Sunday League with Yellow and Blue teams). The club provides beginner, intermediate, and competitive tiers, plus walking football. Additional offerings include a mobile app for session booking, corporate consultancy on diversity and inclusion, workplace health and wellbeing programmes, and merchandise (football kits). The club serves women, non-binary, and transgender adults aged 18 and above.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inclusive Football Collective (IFC) League: A 7-a-side football league created by Manchester Laces for adults who play from time to time or who are about to start, offering a fun and competitive alternative to traditional amateur football leagues.
• Manchester Laces App

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350 people benefiting from Manchester Laces sessions and activities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avery DennisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership began in 2022 for kit design and supply. Avery Dennison created the 2022-2025 kit collection featuring home kit (honeycomb pattern honouring Manchester's working people) and away kit (LGBTQ+ themed with progress and pride flag elements).
• Nomad StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKit design partnership for the first Manchester Laces kit. Nomad Studios designed the jersey representing Manchester's community and the worker bee symbol. Sponsored kit design for the inaugural season.
• City In The CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with for the 1st birthday event and awards ceremony held at Manchester City Academy Stadium. Supported the extravaganza event with venue and resources.
• PumacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor providing boots and athletic wear. Players received Puma boots and shorts during Red Bull tournament trip to London. Key equipment sponsor for the club.
• Arowak WaltonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor that helped make the 1st birthday celebration event happen. Financial or resource support for community events.
• Goal ClickminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on #HopeBeatsHate photography campaign. Players Charlotte Wilkins and Beth Lane shared their football stories through disposable cameras documenting training and playing football.
• EEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner on Goal Click #HopeBeatsHate project. Mobile network provider supporting the football story campaign featuring Manchester Laces players.
• FoudyscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce platform (foudys.com) for selling Manchester Laces merchandise and kits. Owned by founder Helen Hardy. Primary channel for players to purchase personalised kits.
• Inclusive Football CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly AF League. Manchester Laces launched the IFC League in 2021 to create a fun and competitive league format. The league includes teams like Spice Goals and Barely Ambition. Community-led inclusive competition.
• Manchester City Academy StadiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuro 2022 venue used for Manchester Laces 1st birthday celebration and end of season awards ceremony. Pep Guardiola's press theatre used for keynote speeches.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Women in Football: UK membership organisation advancing women working in football. Adjacent rather than competitive, but operates in the same inclusion-in-football ecosystem and addresses similar DEI themes.
• Kick It Out: English football's leading equality and inclusion organisation. Comparable not as a competing club but as an ecosystem-level body addressing overlapping DEI issues in football that Manchester Laces operates within.
• Foudys: Women's football merchandise e-commerce business owned by Manchester Laces founder Helen Hardy; functions as an adjacent commercial vehicle and primary kit/merchandise channel for the club.

Direct peers

• Limehouse Laces: Sister Laces club in East London serving the same inclusive women/non-binary adult player base with weekly training sessions and league participation.
• Inclusive Football Collective (IFC) League: Manchester Laces' own league initiative that includes external teams like Spice Goals and Barely Ambition; functions as a peer league format for inclusive 7-a-side adult football rather than a single club.
• Stonewall FC: London-based LGBTQ+ inclusive football club offering competitive and recreational teams for marginalised genders. Closely comparable as an inclusive grassroots club with community-led ethos and competitive league participation.
• South London Laces: Another sister Laces club offering the same inclusive grassroots football programme in South London, sharing branding, sponsorship relationships, and the IFC League infrastructure.
• Hackney Laces: Sister club under Laces Community Club Ltd operating the same inclusive women/non-binary grassroots football model in Hackney, London. Most directly comparable in mission, pricing, structure, and brand.

Regional players

• Wildcats (Football Victoria / FA programmes): Australia-based grassroots women's football programme with similar beginner-friendly, all-skill-levels ethos; comparable as a regional peer in women's inclusive football participation outside the UK market.

Emerging players

• Give It A Kick: UK platform curating women's, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ friendly football sessions across multiple cities; competes for the same marginalised-gender player audience through a digital discovery layer rather than a single venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/manchesterlaces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Manchester Laces