Every football club is built on people, players, parents, coaches, volunteers, and supporters who show up rain or shine. But if your club wants to grow, inspire new faces, and strengthen its roots, nothing beats hosting a community open day football club event.
It’s not just a fun afternoon or a fundraiser. It’s your club’s opportunity to open its doors, welcome the community, and show what makes your team special. Done well, an open day can turn spectators into members, visitors into volunteers, and curiosity into lifelong loyalty.
This guide breaks down how to plan, promote, and run an unforgettable community open day, one that captures your club’s spirit, strengthens local ties, and boosts membership for years to come.
Why a Community Open Day Matters
Football clubs don’t exist in isolation; they thrive because of community. The stronger your local connections, the healthier your club’s future.
A community open day football club event achieves three key goals:
Visibility: It puts your club on the map for families who didn’t even know you existed.
Engagement: It creates a genuine face-to-face connection that online promotion can’t match.
Retention: It reminds existing members why they love being part of the club.
Community days also reinforce your reputation. Sponsors appreciate the exposure, parents feel confident enrolling children, and councils notice the positive local impact.
If you’d like to understand why grassroots connections form the backbone of football, explore What Is Grassroots Football?. It captures exactly why open days are more than PR, they’re community-building in action.
Setting Your Objectives Early
Every successful event starts with a clear goal. Before you print a single flyer or book a bouncy castle, decide what you want the day to achieve.
Common objectives include:
Recruiting new youth players.
Attracting volunteers or coaches.
Building sponsor relationships.
Strengthening ties with schools or local leagues.
Fundraising for new kits, equipment, or facilities.
Your goal will influence everything, from your activities to your messaging. For instance, if recruitment is the priority, focus on trial games and player showcases. If fundraising is key, include raffles, auctions, or merchandise stands.
You can find inspiration for creative fundraising angles in Grassroots Football Fundraising Ideas, which includes proven strategies for local clubs.
Planning the Event Step-by-Step
A good open day takes around six to eight weeks to organise. Breaking it into manageable steps helps you stay on track:
Pick the Right Date and Time Choose a weekend or bank holiday, ideally outside your regular league schedule. Avoid major local events or school holidays that might split attention.
Secure the Venue Use your home pitch if possible. If not, find a public park or community ground with parking and accessible facilities.
Create a Budget Account for food, printing, permits, entertainment, and promotion. Many clubs use local sponsors to cover costs, you can highlight them later in your newsletter or website.
Build a Team of Volunteers Assign clear roles: event lead, setup crew, catering, photography, and safety coordinators.
Plan the Activities Offer a mix of football, fun, and community, games for children, skill stations, mini matches, and perhaps a “Beat the Goalie” challenge.
Promote the Event Use social media, local posters, and, most importantly, your football club newsletter to reach existing members.
If you haven’t built a newsletter yet, see Developing a Club Newsletter That Drives Retention, it’s the perfect complement for promoting open days effectively.
Engaging the Local Community
An open day works best when it feels inclusive, something the whole town can attend, not just club members.
Here are ideas to broaden your reach:
Partner with Local Schools: Offer free taster sessions or invite PE teachers to attend.
Involve Local Businesses: Encourage shops, cafés, and gyms to set up stalls or sponsor prizes.
Invite Community Figures: Local councillors, former players, or radio presenters can add credibility.
Collaborate with Charities: Donating part of your proceeds shows social responsibility.
The more groups you include, the more publicity and goodwill you’ll generate.
For examples of strong league-level community engagement, browse through the Eastern Junior Alliance or the Midland Junior Premier League, both demonstrate how partnerships build visibility.
Promoting Your Open Day Online
Your digital communication is just as important as your on-pitch presentation. Begin promoting early and consistently across:
Social Media: Use countdown posts and behind-the-scenes content.
Email Campaigns: Leverage your club’s database with regular reminders.
Club Website: Feature the event prominently on your homepage.
Local Forums: Post announcements on community boards or local newspapers.
Make every message friendly and visual. Include photos of training, smiling players, and family-friendly captions. The more human your club feels, the more approachable it becomes.
Use short clips or historic match highlights in your posts to attract nostalgia and show the club’s legacy in action. If you’ve already built an archive, integrate content following the guide Building an Online Archive of Historic Club Moments.
Showcasing Your Club’s Strengths
Your open day is a stage, not for boasting, but for storytelling. Visitors should leave with a clear sense of who you are, what you stand for, and why joining matters.
Key areas to highlight:
Coaching Philosophy: Briefly explain how your coaches develop players.
Facilities and Equipment: Give tours or demos if possible.
Volunteer Culture: Recognise the people behind the scenes.
Player Pathways: Show how young players progress through your age groups.
Support your message with visuals. Posters, videos, and testimonials add authenticity.
To see how video storytelling enhances club communication, read Integrating Video Analysis into Your Team Workflow.
Making It Family Friendly
A true community open day football club event caters for everyone, not just players. Include activities that appeal to children, parents, and non-football fans alike:
Bouncy castles and penalty shoot-outs.
Cake stalls and barbecues.
Raffles and lucky dips.
Live music or DJ sets.
Meet-the-players sessions.
These touches turn an event from a recruitment drive into a community celebration.
When planning inclusive experiences, consider examples from long-standing leagues such as the East Manchester Junior Football League, known for its family-oriented match days.
Recruiting New Members and Volunteers
An open day is the perfect environment to welcome new talent. Have sign-up sheets ready for:
Players: Offer mini trials or fun matches by age group.
Coaches: Invite experienced volunteers to shadow existing staff.
Parents: Encourage involvement in admin, catering, or fundraising.
Be ready to answer questions about fees, insurance, or schedules. Direct new families to your Team Management App, where they can explore fixtures, finances, and communication tools in one place.
Recognising the People Who Make It Happen
Every open day relies on volunteers. Take a moment during the event to thank them publicly, a short speech or group photo goes a long way.
You can also create a “Volunteer of the Month” feature in your club newsletter afterwards, using the format from the Developing a Club Newsletter article to showcase appreciation regularly.
Capturing the Day for the Future
Don’t let your hard work fade once the day ends. Photograph everything: the crowds, the games, the smiles, the stalls. Capture short videos that can become promotional material for next season.
These clips also double as historic match highlights, the next generation’s nostalgia in the making. Archive them properly so they contribute to your club’s long-term story.
For a detailed process on preservation and storytelling, see Building an Online Archive of Historic Club Moments.
Managing Safety and Accessibility
Community events need to be safe and welcoming. Plan carefully around:
First aid and safeguarding requirements.
Risk assessments for activities and food stalls.
Clearly marked exits and parking spaces.
Signage for toilets, refreshments, and information points.
Ensure your volunteers are briefed, and your insurance is current. Small details make a big difference to professionalism and comfort.
You can review league safety standards for reference through directories like the Leagues Page, which lists structured competition frameworks.
Adding Fundraising to the Mix
A community open day football club event doubles as an excellent fundraiser. Combine entertainment with purpose:
Sell club merchandise and raffle tickets.
Host a “crossbar challenge” or penalty competition.
Offer food stalls run by local partners.
These generate income while promoting team spirit. Always thank donors publicly, sponsor appreciation strengthens relationships long-term.
Use storytelling techniques from Grassroots Football Fundraising Ideas to make your appeal heartfelt rather than transactional.
Encouraging Ongoing Engagement
After the event, keep the energy going. Post thank-you messages, share photos, and publish results from games or competitions. Follow up with emails inviting attendees to upcoming fixtures, training sessions, or your next social.
This is where retention happens. The open day creates awareness, the follow-up builds commitment.
For consistent communication, integrate updates into your football club newsletter and maintain regular contact with new leads through TeamStats’ contact tools.
Evaluating Success and Planning Ahead
After every event, hold a debrief. Review what worked and what didn’t. Ask for feedback from volunteers, parents, and visitors.
Measure:
Attendance numbers.
New sign-ups.
Funds raised.
Social engagement metrics.
Then, store this data within your TeamStats admin system so next year’s event builds on what you’ve learned. The clubs that grow are the ones that treat community work as a long-term investment.
Inspiring Examples from Grassroots Leagues
Many regional leagues celebrate annual community engagement events. For instance:
The Eastern Junior Alliance often features open festivals combining fixtures with family activities.
The Teesside Junior Football Alliance showcases youth tournaments that double as open days.
The Midland Junior Premier League frequently promotes volunteer and sponsor partnerships.
Studying these examples can help your club shape its own tradition of annual community events.
Building Long-Term Community Partnerships
An open day is the start of a conversation, not the end. Follow up with:
Local councils for facility improvements.
Schools for after-school programmes.
Charities for shared causes.
Sponsors for ongoing collaboration.
The relationships forged through your event can expand into training partnerships, scholarship initiatives, or community projects.
If you want ideas for multi-team management and planning, the Team Management App offers features for scheduling, communication, and club-wide organisation.
Celebrating Heritage and Progress
While your open day focuses on the future, never forget to celebrate your club’s past. Display trophies, team photos, and historic match highlights from years gone by.
It shows newcomers that your club has heart, history, and ambition. It turns casual visitors into lifelong supporters.
To learn more about blending history and progress, revisit Building an Online Archive of Historic Club Moments.
Final Thoughts
Hosting a community open day football club event isn’t just about football; it’s about belonging. It brings people together, strengthens identity, and plants seeds for the future.
Your club’s pitch becomes more than turf; it becomes a meeting place for generations. When organised well, that single day can echo for seasons to come, in new members, in community trust, and in shared pride.
With TeamStats, your club already has the tools to communicate, organise, and document every success. All that’s left is to open the gates, welcome the crowd, and remind your community why football’s more than a game, it’s home.
