The Quick Read
A World Cup year always brings a participation surge. Clubs still running on outdated systems won't be ready for it.
Key Intelligence
30-Second Summary
With the World Cup 2026 draw taking place this week, the football world is looking ahead - and so are grassroots clubs. Rising admin demands, coach burnout, and outdated systems are pushing clubs to re-evaluate their digital tools. Legacy platforms built around finance workflows no longer meet the needs of modern coaching environments. In 2026, clubs will move to next-generation team management platforms that reduce admin, unify communication, improve player development, support club-wide stability, and empower the people who keep grassroots football alive.
The Signal
The World Cup 2026 draw has sharpened everyone's attention on what the next year in football will look like. As England, Scotland, and Wales discover their fate on the global stage, grassroots clubs across the UK are quietly preparing for a surge of their own. Major tournaments always produce waves of youth sign-ups, new teams, and increased demand for structure.
Yet the infrastructure supporting many clubs still looks more like 2014 than 2026: fragmented WhatsApp chats, spreadsheets, paper registers, clunky admin systems, and outdated apps originally designed just to collect subs.
The numbers tell the story clearly. According to the Big Grassroots Survey Report 2025, 62% of volunteers spend more than six hours a week on admin, 88% of clubs rely on WhatsApp for communication, and over 25% of clubs are still managing squads on spreadsheets. Volunteer time is being drained. Coaches are burning out. Messaging is chaotic. Families expect more clarity than ever. And the biggest challenge ranked by clubs? Volunteer recruitment and retention - above finances, facilities, or referees.
That signals a fundamental shift. Clubs no longer need tools just built for administrators. They need tools built for football.
The Pattern
Old systems weren't designed for today's game
Most first-generation platforms - the Pitcheros, TeamFeePays, and Teamer-era tools - were built for fee collection and IT admin. They solved a financial problem, not a football problem. Fee collection matters, of course. It keeps clubs alive. But in 2026 it will become a hygiene factor: essential, expected, and no longer the reason clubs choose a platform.
Collecting subs shouldn't be the most advanced thing our club software can do. The real problems are communication, planning, player development and keeping coaches in their roles.
The football landscape has moved on. Many tools haven't.
The coach crisis is real
Every industry report now points in the same direction: coaches are leaving the game because the workload has become unsustainable. Studies from SoccerParenting, Sport England and Project Play all highlight the same themes - admin overload, poor digital tools, unclear communication structures, emotional exhaustion, and feeling unsupported. Recruiting coaches is the third biggest challenge facing clubs today (after finances and facilities).
When a coach leaves, a club doesn't just lose a volunteer. It loses stability, development continuity, and often an entire team. This is why next-generation platforms matter. They're not about features. They're about keeping coaches coaching.
Communication is collapsing under its own weight
Parents miss emails. WhatsApp messages disappear in minutes. Fixture changes get lost in noise. Important information spreads across five systems, none of which talk to each other. Research data shows shows that 46% of parents don't read club emails, 52% lose WhatsApp messages, and 1 in 9 clubs still rely solely on email for critical updates. This is unsustainable for clubs, parents, and coaches alike. Modern platforms (like tactico) unify communication not as a "feature" but as a foundation for clubs that want to function.
Participation is rising faster than infrastructure
Youth football continues to grow, especially for girls. Clubs expect a significant rise in demand following the 2026 World Cup - major tournaments have historically always driven participation spikes. Yet only 31% of clubs track player retention or have a pathway system. More players combined with unchanged systems equals more pressure on already stretched volunteers. Clubs can't scale without modernisation.
Legacy systems aren't broken - they're just not built for the reality of 2026 football.
The Practice
Here are six practical steps clubs can take as they prepare for 2026. None of them require adopting new technology immediately - but all of them will reveal where your current setup falls short.
1. Consolidate your communication into fewer channels
One channel for fixtures, match updates, and team news dramatically reduces confusion. If WhatsApp is still your main tool, create strict rules: one broadcast channel, one team channel, match-day comms only. The goal is fewer places for information to get lost. A unified platform is even better, but structure comes first. Clubs that audit their communication flow now will know exactly what they need from any new system in 2026.
2. Reduce admin by automating predictable tasks
Late availability messages, training reminders, match details, attendance tracking - these should not demand weekly manual work. Automated messaging and templated workflows can give volunteers back three to five hours a week. If your current system doesn't offer this, note it down. That's time your coaches are losing to tasks a platform should handle automatically.
3. Support your coaches as if they were your biggest asset - because they are
Clubs spend huge energy discussing finances, but coach retention is often the real financial risk. A coach leaving mid-season costs far more than a subscription fee. Support coaches with:
Modern platforms do this automatically. Legacy systems leave coaches to figure it out themselves.
4. Introduce simple, season-long player data tracking
Clubs don't need "pro-level analytics" - they need clarity. Start tracking:
Even simple tracking reveals development patterns that improve coaching and player satisfaction. If you're currently relying on memory or scattered notes, the new year is a good time to establish a consistent approach that carries through the 2026 season.
5. Prepare now for the 2026 participation surge
More players means more teams, more admin, more communication, more facilities pressure, and more safeguarding requirements. Clubs using outdated systems will struggle. Clubs using modern, consolidated digital tools will scale smoothly. With youth football formats changing from 2026, use the quieter months of January and February to evaluate what's working and what isn't - before the summer registration rush begins.
6. Choose technology that solves football problems, not admin problems
In 2026, the platforms that win club adoption will be those that:
Not just those that collect money efficiently. When you evaluate options in the new year, ask the question: was this built for treasurers or for coaches?
The Principle
At its heart, grassroots football is powered by people - volunteers, committee members, coaches, parents, and players.
The magic of grassroots football comes from the people who are part of it - the volunteers, groundskeepers, coaches, and players.
The role of digital tools is not to replace people. It's to support them. Legacy systems were built to solve admin problems. Next-generation platforms are built to solve football problems - clarity, communication, preparation, performance, stability.
2026 will reward the clubs that recognise the difference.
Your Move This Week
Start thinking about your digital audit now. List every tool you use - WhatsApp, spreadsheets, email, Full-Time, Matchday, payment platforms - and note where communication breaks down, where admin stacks up, and where coaches feel unsupported.
You don't need to act before Christmas. But when January arrives, you'll have a clear picture of what needs to change - and you'll be ready to move before the 2026 season preparation begins.
The Bottom Line
Grassroots football doesn't fail because of spreadsheets.
It fails because people burn out trying to hold them together.
2026 is a turning point. More players. More demand. More pressure on volunteers. More expectation from families.
Clubs don't need more features. They need systems that respect the people who give their evenings, weekends, and energy to the game.
The clubs that start thinking now - and act early in the new year - will be the clubs that thrive next season and for the decade ahead.
tactico.
The game, uncompromised.
Sources & Context
1. Primary: The Big Grassroots Survey Report 2025 - Statistics on admin hours, communication challenges, spreadsheet reliance, and club priority issues.
2. Primary: FA Commentary on Volunteers - James Kendall quote on the people who power grassroots football.
3. Supporting: Sport England – Volunteer Trends - Evidence of burnout, reduced volunteer capacity, and pressure on unpaid roles.
4. Research: Lara-Bercial & Mallett (2020) - Academic research on coach turnover and organisational pressures.
5. Supporting: SoccerParenting – Why Coaches Quit - Insight into coach motivations and reasons for leaving.
6. Supporting: Aspen Institute – Coaching Trends - Wider youth sport evidence of coach overload and structural challenges.
7. Data: BBC Sport – Financial Pressure on Grassroots Clubs - Context for clubs struggling despite growing participation.
8. Data: Net World Sports – Grassroots Football Report - Data on rising costs, volunteer shortages, and digital adoption gaps.