Is a Player Development Platform Worth £400 a Year? A Club-Level ROI Breakdown

The Hidden Cost of "Free" Tools

Spreadsheets, group chats and paper forms feel cheap, but they consume enormous amounts of coach and admin time.

When time is valued realistically, many clubs discover they are effectively "spending" thousands per team on inefficient processes.[file:1]

Time Savings in Plain Numbers

Take one youth team:

• 3 hours/week of admin and planning.
• 50 weeks/year.
• Coach time valued at £25/hour.

That equals £3,750 of time per year on largely manual work that could be streamlined.[file:1]

Retention and Revenue

For a squad of 100 players paying £200 per season, a 5% improvement in retention is worth £1,000 in preserved income before considering referrals or secondary spend.[file:1]

Improved communication, clearer development and better wellbeing monitoring are all associated with higher retention.[web:8][file:1]

Compliance and Trust

GDPR fines can reach up to 4% of turnover or €20 million, and while grassroots clubs are unlikely to face the maximum, any data breach is costly and damaging.[file:1][web:36]

Using a system designed around privacy and consent reduces this risk and gives parents confidence.

Comparing Value to Cost

Against annual licence fees of £300–£500 per team, the combined value from:

• Admin time saved.
• Reduced dropout.
• Lower compliance risk.

means many clubs break even within the first couple of months of use.[file:1]

The longer-term upside is a more professional, trusted and sustainable club.