{"id":23621,"date":"2025-08-05T13:06:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=23621"},"modified":"2026-01-12T15:40:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T15:40:52","slug":"small-businesses-powers-english-football-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/small-businesses-powers-english-football-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Neville: How small businesses help power the English Football League"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGary Neville: How small businesses help power the English Football League\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Your football club becomes the beating heart of your town or city\u2014where communities come together, stories are passed down through generations, and buzz begins long before the stadium doors open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why Sage is the official accounting software partner of the English Football League (EFL)<\/a>, a competition built on the spirit of local communities\u2014powered by the small businesses, volunteers, and everyday legends who make football what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matchday starts days or weeks earlier, in the bakery, the barbershop, the ticket office, or the pub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"EFL<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gary Neville: From the pitch to the business of football<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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As someone who\u2019s seen the whole game through, from pitch to boardroom, former England and Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, knows how vital small businesses are to football culture and community life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now successful businessman and EFL club co-owner, in the video above, he shares what football looks like behind the scenes and tells us why the business side of football matters more than ever\u2014and what we can all learn from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring the game beyond the game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From matchday pies to payroll, ticketing to training schedules, football clubs are businesses too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so much of what makes football great is powered by everyday people doing great work behind the scenes, often without the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMatchdays aren\u2019t just about football\u2014they keep local shops and communities alive.\u201d<\/p>Gary Neville<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something Gary saw from a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowing up and watching Bury with my mum and dad\u2026 the local sweet shop, the fish and chip shop\u2026 all these small businesses that thrive around a match day, that communities rely upon to keep them going.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also sees how the game\u2014and the business world\u2014are rapidly changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFootball\u2019s caught up fast. Now, every club is using data and systems to get ahead. If you resist technology, you risk being left behind.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The badge might be worn on the pitch, but it\u2019s backed by the businesses off it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Sage? Why football?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With nearly half of all EFL clubs already using Sage, it\u2019s proud to power the people behind the pros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sage helps small and medium businesses, like football clubs or local matchday meeting points, manage the numbers, admin, and time-consuming jobs that keep things running smoothly\u2014from payroll and invoicing to accounting and forecasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes thousands of local shops, caf\u00e9s, accountants, and entrepreneurs\u2014the same people powering football from the grassroots up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when you look at the EFL\u201472 clubs, millions of fans\u2014it\u2019s more than sport. It\u2019s about the communities and businesses that have supported clubs for generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same kinds of people Sage has championed for over 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFootball clubs and small businesses are embedded together. That\u2019s why the Sage and EFL partnership makes sense.\u201d <\/p>Gary Neville<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Game on<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With more than 43 years of local business experience, Sage knows this is just the beginning of the journey with the EFL\u2014and we can\u2019t wait to share more stories of the people who power the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n