FootieBugs

What FootieBugs does

FootieBugs Ltd is a UK private company headquartered in Solihull (Birmingham), founded in 2012 and operating as the football-focused brand within The Bugs Group, a diversified portfolio of children's activity brands that also includes YogaBugs, DanceBugs, RugbyBugs and MultiBugs. The company delivers structured football coaching and activity programmes for children aged 3-16, segmented by age band (3-5 story-themed sessions, 5-7, 7-12, development squads 7-16) and supplemented by specialised tiers including the FootieBugs Academy (U8-U12), Girls Academy, Academy Goalkeeping, SEN & Disability Sessions, Holiday Camps, Intensive Skills Camps, and Birthday Parties.

The core technology stack is minimal: the business is a service operation, with an online booking system (powered by a web portal and WorldPay recurring payments) acting as the primary commercial interface. Programmes are designed by specialist doctors, physiotherapists and educators, and a Skills Matrix is used to track child progression, but there is no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI component. Coaches are FA qualified, DBS checked, first aid trained and safeguarding certified, with Academy and intensive camp coaching delivered by UEFA B qualified coaches and ex-professionals.

FootieBugs generates revenue through four streams: (1) monthly recurring subscriptions of £27 for community classes and £32 for academy classes, billed via WorldPay; (2) one-off holiday camp fees (non-refundable, non-transferable, with a loyalty card mechanism); (3) two-hour birthday party bookings requiring a 50% non-refundable deposit; and (4) franchise/licensing fees from regional operators. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer online booking model with a franchise network delivering classes in community venues (church halls, scout huts, school halls, leisure centres) across the West Midlands, Worcestershire and Slough, supported by school partnerships and a multi-channel digital marketing presence. The founder is Lee Hendrie; no external institutional investment is disclosed.

Name

FootieBugs

Legal name

FootieBugs Ltd

Website

https://footiebugs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FootieBugs is a UK children's football coaching franchise (part of The Bugs Group) delivering weekly classes, academies, holiday camps, and birthday parties for children aged 3-16 across multiple UK regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Football Coaching

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Children's football coaching
• Youth sports training
• Football activity programs
• Kids football classes
• Football coaching franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Solihull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Weekly Classes Subscription: Monthly recurring payments for children to attend weekly football training sessions. Community classes at £27/month (calculated at £6.40/week over 50 weeks) and Academy classes at £32/month (49 weeks). Payment is taken on the 3rd or 10th of each month via WorldPay recurring payment system.
2. Holiday Camps: School holiday football camps for children aged 5-13 years, booked in advance through the booking system. Full payment required upfront; non-refundable and non-transferable.
3. Birthday Parties: Two-hour football-themed birthday parties for children aged 3-16. Requires 50% non-refundable deposit to confirm booking, with balance due 2 weeks prior. Minimum 10 attendees required.
4. Franchise Fees: The company operates a franchise model where regional operators run FootieBugs classes in their territories, suggesting franchise fee revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

FootieBugs delivers weekly football coaching classes and football-based activity programmes for children aged 3–16, including age-grouped regular classes, an advanced Academy for elite young players, a Girls Academy, Goalkeeping Academy, holiday camps, birthday parties, intensive skills camps, and SEN & disability sessions. Programmes are designed by specialist doctors, physiotherapists and educators and delivered by FA qualified, DBS checked, first-aid trained coaches through a UK franchise network of regional operators running sessions in community venues.

Product overview

FootieBugs is a children's football activity company operating as part of The Bugs Group, offering a comprehensive portfolio of football-based programmes for children aged 3-16 years across the UK. The core offering comprises regular weekly classes structured by age groups (3-5, 5-7, 7-12, and development squads up to 16), supplemented by specialized Academy programmes including the Girls Academy and Academy Goalkeeping for elite young players. The company also provides seasonal Holiday Camps, Birthday Parties, Intensive Skills Camps, and inclusive SEN & Disability Sessions. Additional offerings include free Taster Sessions, a Junior Coach Scheme for aspiring coaches, and a Skills Matrix for tracking child progression. All programmes are designed by specialist doctors, physiotherapists, and educators, with coaching delivered by FA qualified coaches. The business operates on a franchise model with regional locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FootieBugs Academy: Advanced football training program for elite young players aged 8-12, featuring professional scouts and high-quality coaching sessions.
• FootieBugs Girls Academy
• FootieBugs Goalkeeping Academy

Products and services

• FootieBugs Regular Classes Weekly football training sessions for children aged 3-16, segmented by age into structured play programmes incorporating warm-up, skills development, physical exercise and relaxation. Children learn football techniques (passing, kicking, dribbling, agility, balance, spatial awareness) alongside social skills such as listening, sharing, taking turns and teamwork. Designed by specialist doctors, physiotherapists and educators and delivered by FA qualified, DBS checked, first-aid trained coaches.
• FootieBugs Academy Advanced football training programme for elite young players aged U8-U12, providing high-quality coaching sessions focused on polishing skills, tactical understanding, and athletic development, with opportunities to showcase potential to professional scouts.
• Girls Academy Specialized football development programme designed specifically for girls, providing an inclusive environment for female footballers to develop their skills.
• Academy Goalkeeping Specialized goalkeeper training programme within the FootieBugs Academy structure, focused on developing goalkeeping skills and techniques for young players.
• SEN & Disability Sessions Specialist football sessions designed for children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities, promoting inclusivity and providing adapted football activities in a supportive environment.
• Holiday Camps Action-packed football camps during school holidays for children aged 5-13, offering fun games and skill-development activities including cross bar challenge, penalty shootout, and structured football drills. Camp Loyalty Card offers one free day after attending ten times.
• Birthday Parties Two-hour football-themed birthday parties for children aged 3-16, featuring imaginative games, structured activities, and coach-led entertainment. Requires 50% non-refundable deposit with balance due two weeks prior; minimum 10 attendees required.
• Intensive Skills Camp Summer programme run by UEFA B qualified coaches focusing on detailed coaching of football attributes including passing, shooting, and dribbling, culminating in a World Cup tournament day.
• Taster Sessions One-off introductory sessions at a £5 payment (fully refunded on sign-up to regular classes) allowing prospective members to experience FootieBugs classes before committing to a subscription.
• Junior Coach Scheme Development programme for young people interested in pursuing football coaching as a career, providing training and mentorship opportunities within FootieBugs.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Bugs GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootieBugs is part of The Bugs Group family of children's activity brands including YogaBugs, DanceBugs, RugbyBugs, MultiBugs, CricketBugs (pre-development), and TennisBugs (pre-development). Shared resources, policies, and corporate infrastructure including child protection, safeguarding, and privacy policies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Little Gym: International children's physical activity franchise offering structured movement and sport classes for young children. Similar subscription-based class model and franchise-led delivery, though focused on motor skills development rather than sport-specific coaching.
• SportsCool: UK children's multi-sport coaching franchise offering classes and holiday camps across age groups. Comparable subscription and camp business model targeting parents of school-age children.
• Tumble Tots: Established UK franchise providing structured physical activity and gymnastics classes for pre-school children. Comparable subscription-based franchise model targeting parents of young children through community venues.
• J4 Soccer: UK youth football coaching provider running classes and holiday camps for children across age groups. Comparable weekly coaching model and product mix to FootieBugs in the UK market.
• Little Kickers: UK-based franchise offering children's football coaching classes for pre-school and early primary children. Very similar product, age tiering, and franchise-led distribution model, making it the closest direct competitor to FootieBugs in the UK.
• Rugbytots: UK franchise delivering structured rugby coaching classes for young children aged 2-7. Sister concept to FootieBugs within The Bugs Group competitor set, with identical weekly class, franchise, and parent-focused marketing model.
• Babyballet: UK franchise delivering dance and movement classes for young children via a franchise network. Highly comparable operating model (subscription classes, franchisees, parent marketing) within the children's activity franchise space.
• First Touch Football: UK youth football coaching provider offering classes, holiday camps, and parties for children. Comparable service portfolio and target customer (parents of primary-age children) to FootieBugs in the UK market.

Regional players

• Soccer Stars: US-based children's soccer coaching programme with comparable age-tiered weekly class structure. Operates the same product concept in a different geography and is relevant as a US analog of the FootieBugs model.

Broad incumbents

• Premier Education Group: Larger UK provider of school-based sport, activity, and PE coaching with broad multi-sport curriculum. Overlaps with FootieBugs in children's sport coaching but operates at greater scale primarily through school partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/footiebugs
• Facebookfacebook.com/footiebugs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/footiebugs
• Pinterestpinterest.com/footiebugs

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 FootieBugs