Cheshire FA (Football Association) is the governing body for football in Cheshire, England.
It is responsible for overseeing the development, promotion, and regulation of football at all levels across the county, from grassroots to semi-professional clubs. The organisation provides support to local clubs, coaches, referees, and volunteers, offering guidance on best practices, safeguarding, and coaching education.
We spoke with Mathew Griffiths, Facility Manager at the Cheshire FA Headquarters in Northwich, all about his success in utilising Pitchbooking for online bookings and payments.
Hi Mathew, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you start by telling us a little about Cheshire FA and the work you do?
"At Cheshire Football Association, we are the not-for-profit governing body responsible for overseeing all grassroots football in Cheshire. Our role includes the organisation, education, governance, and development of the game across the county. With approximately 3,500 teams and over 60,000 weekly participants, our work is supported by 800 referees and 5,000 dedicated volunteers."
"We operate as a dynamic organisation, working closely with the National Football Association to drive the growth of football in Cheshire. Over the years, we’ve invested over £24 million in facilities and an additional £4 million into revenue-generating projects to support the local football infrastructure. As part of our growth, we sought out a better solution for managing bookings at our facilities — which is where Pitchbooking has made a real difference."
What were the challenges you faced with your own facilities?
"At Cheshire FA, we manage a 3G pitch and two conference rooms, which are available for hire. However, before using Pitchbooking, we faced several challenges, including:"
No online booking system: This meant lots of back-and-forth through emails to manage reservations.
Administrative burden: The manual process of handling bookings and payments took up valuable time and resources. We needed a streamlined solution to reduce admin time, provide better access to our services, and ensure smooth bookings for our customers.
How has working with Pitchbooking helped?
"Pitchbooking has been a game-changer for us. The online booking system has allowed users to check availability in real-time, something we couldn't offer previously. This feature alone has made a significant difference, helping us generate more income by making it easier for people to book our facilities."
"Additionally, the payment and invoicing features have been incredibly helpful. With payment now being processed via subscription and invoices automatically generated, our admin workload has been reduced significantly. The whole booking process has become smoother, from the initial reservation to payment."
Anything else worth mentioning? What about the effect on income and overall revenue?
"Thanks to Pitchbooking, we've seen a marked improvement in how we manage bookings. The ability to display available time slots online has not only made things easier for our staff but has also allowed us to attract more bookings. As a result, we've been able to increase revenue and reduce the time spent chasing unpaid bookings."
Moving to a new software can be overwhelming, what was the support from the Pitchbooking Team like??
"The support we've received from the Pitchbooking team has been top-notch. They’re always on hand to answer any questions we have and has been extremely responsive whenever we've needed help. It's great to know we have live support available when we need it."
You also use Pitchbooking Events for organising County FA Events right?
"We’ve also benefited from some of the other features that Pitchbooking offers. The events section has been particularly useful for us, as we use it to organise referee courses and CPD events throughout the season. Having everything centralised in one place has made managing these events far more efficient."
Would you recommend Pitchbooking to other County FAs?
"Absolutely. The transition to Pitchbooking was smooth, and the ongoing support and new features make the system even better over time. It’s adaptable and constantly evolving to meet our needs. For any County FA looking for a reliable booking system, we highly recommend Pitchbooking."
"At Cheshire FA, we’re excited to continue working with Pitchbooking to streamline our operations and provide better services to our community. The positive impact it's had on our day-to-day management has been invaluable, and we look forward to seeing what new features they roll out in the future."