Strategic Revenue Generation for Financial Stability in Community Football Club
Yolmo, Bikash (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025100925783
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025100925783
Tiivistelmä
Financial fragility in a rural community football club was addressed against a context where operations had been constrained by irregular donations, short-term sponsorships, and weak facilities. The task was defined as the design of a sustainable revenue model that reduced dependence on unpredictable inflows while protecting participation and performance. Objectives were set to identify current constraints, to map community support and partner expectations, and to develop feasible diversification routes suited to local capacity.
A qualitative implementation was applied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with club leaders, coaches, players, sponsors, and community members through purposive sampling. Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by thematic procedures. Trustworthiness was strengthened through careful transcription and transparent note-keeping. A SWOT frame was used to structure strategic interpretation, and the results were read alongside Resource Dependence Theory and Club Theory to link practice with conceptual explanation.
Four themes were identified. Financial challenges and instability were found to be driven by category-based reliance on small, last-minute gifts. Developmental impacts were observed: canceled youth activities, mismatched kits, and reduced training intensity on a rough pitch. Community support and engagement were strong emotionally yet translated weakly into finance without simple systems. Opportunities for growth and diversification were indicated through a pilot youth academy, small-batch merchandise, digital visibility, and tiered sponsorship packages with basic reporting. A cross-cutting variable was detected: reliability in calendars and reporting extended planning horizons and improved bargaining position. From these results, a reinforcing model was derived: Routine → Credibility → Partnerships → Capacity → Participation/Performance.
It was concluded that sustainability for a small club was better achieved by disciplined routines than by large, uncertain grants. Sponsorship tiers, modest digital assets, and brief post-event reports were shown to shift reactive dependence toward managed interdependence. Capacity-raising actions—ten durable balls, leveled pitch spots, and a predictable youth schedule—were judged to lift effective training minutes and morale. The pathway suggested that, when community pride was channeled through simple structures, stable revenue streams could be built and competitive performance could be supported, even under rural constraints.
A qualitative implementation was applied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with club leaders, coaches, players, sponsors, and community members through purposive sampling. Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by thematic procedures. Trustworthiness was strengthened through careful transcription and transparent note-keeping. A SWOT frame was used to structure strategic interpretation, and the results were read alongside Resource Dependence Theory and Club Theory to link practice with conceptual explanation.
Four themes were identified. Financial challenges and instability were found to be driven by category-based reliance on small, last-minute gifts. Developmental impacts were observed: canceled youth activities, mismatched kits, and reduced training intensity on a rough pitch. Community support and engagement were strong emotionally yet translated weakly into finance without simple systems. Opportunities for growth and diversification were indicated through a pilot youth academy, small-batch merchandise, digital visibility, and tiered sponsorship packages with basic reporting. A cross-cutting variable was detected: reliability in calendars and reporting extended planning horizons and improved bargaining position. From these results, a reinforcing model was derived: Routine → Credibility → Partnerships → Capacity → Participation/Performance.
It was concluded that sustainability for a small club was better achieved by disciplined routines than by large, uncertain grants. Sponsorship tiers, modest digital assets, and brief post-event reports were shown to shift reactive dependence toward managed interdependence. Capacity-raising actions—ten durable balls, leveled pitch spots, and a predictable youth schedule—were judged to lift effective training minutes and morale. The pathway suggested that, when community pride was channeled through simple structures, stable revenue streams could be built and competitive performance could be supported, even under rural constraints.