**Sporting 87 2024-25 Annual Report** The Sporting 87 Football Club Charity has the following objectives which are for the public benefit. 1.To promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities for playing football 2.To advance the Christian religion in accordance with the statement of faith ## **Football Provision** Sporting 87 FC is registered with the Suffolk FA and is an English FA accredited Football Club with two stars and a FA Nike Partner Club. The Club play the majority of their home games at the prestigious Victory Sports Ground in Bury St Edmunds. In the 2024/25 season Sporting 87 registered three adult teams to play in the Suffolk and Ipswich League (SIL) Senior Division, Division 2 and Division 3, and had another successful season. The First Team competed in Senior football for the third time in the Clubs history and finished in 9th place. The Reserves finished Runners up in Division 2, meaning the Club has the highest Reserves Team position in the SIL for the third year running. The A Team finished 12th in Division 3. This means that due to restrictions next season all three adult teams cannot be promoted either because of facilities not being appropriate or the league not allowing progression or the Club having a team already in the league above. This is an issue that needs addressing for the Club to progress. During the season the Club registered over 128* adult players, which is a record 6 higher than the previous record last season. (*this year’s figure are over 4 teams the three adult teams and Veterans team, previous years there hasn’t been a Veteran Team). Many of the players have been with the Club a significant number of years. (79/128) 62% of the players that represented the Club at adult level have previously played in the Youth section of the Club, which is a similar % to previous years. These figures also reflect the national picture of the larger numbers of people required to run teams now. During the 2024-25 season the Club ran a Veterans Team for the first time in the Norfolk and Suffolk Veterans league. The team played in Division 3 South on a Sunday afternoon; this was a huge success with over 70% of the players having played for the club previously. Players over 35 are eligible which allows players to continue playing with slightly less commitment rather than restricted places in the adult teams for younger players. This now provides a further pathway of progression from Youth to Adult and Veterans football. The Adult teams play on Saturday afternoons and train mid week under the supervision of FA qualified Coaches. In the cup competitions the Club played in the FA Senior (First Team), FA Senior Reserve Cup (Reserve Team), FA Primary Cup (A Team), Bob Coleman Cup (First Team), Club Colours Cup (Reserve Team) and Divisional Cup (A Team) FA Veterans Trophy (Veterans Team) and Norfolk and Suffolk Veterans League Cup (First Team) Sadly, many adult teams have struggled nationally and locally which means that league are in a state of flux. Sporting 87 we are currently strong within the adult section but the local trends affecting the club, and the longer-term strategy of adult football need to be kept under review. ## **Sporting 87 Youth** The Club had nearly 30 youth teams comprising over 500 youngsters registered with the FA in the 2024/25 season, all of whom were registered with leagues and played in cup competitions. Teams played their home games at the Victory Ground along with other local venues and trained mid-week on 3G Astro under Floodlights. The Youth teams play in Suffolk Youth Football League on a Saturday morning. The Club also plays in the prestigious Mid Week Thurlow Nunn Youth u18 Floodlit League, using the impressive AFC Sudbury Ground. We are very grateful to AFC Sudbury for this partnership as without their support it would not be possible to enter a team at this level of competition. This year is the tenth season the Club has competed at Thurlow Nunn u18 Level. As reported last year, the 2023-24 season was a tough season, this season under new leadership and building on the good work of the past the team were able to progress well. The team finished in 5th place behind big Non-league Clubs like Bury Town and Walsham le Willows. It is important that the Club continues to develop this aspect of the Club. All coaches are qualified to a minimum FA Coach Level 1 and have valid FA Child Safeguarding and First Aid qualifications. All coaches hold a FA DBS certificate. ## **Spiritual Development** The Club’s members’ spiritual development is embedded into the ethos of the Club; below are several examples of the spiritual provision offered. ## **Club Chaplain and Team** Tim Banks is Club Chaplain. He attends matches and other Sporting events to keep his visible presence high. Tim can often be seen chatting to folks at games, supporting in whatever way is required. Tim also heads up the Footy Pastors team who go around the matches on a Saturday offering a helping hand where required. Tim visits members and their wider families if they are going through tough times, offering the appropriate support where required and requested. This includes members from the Club who have lost parents and other family members, people that have debt issues, dealing with life limiting diseases and individuals with addiction issues including, alcoholism, gambling and drugs, and the effects on their family. Tim is a member of the National Sports Chaplaincy UK and attends SCUK events. Tim visits a wide range of local churches to keep them updated with the Club’s activities. He also writes an article in every First Team home match day programme. Tim is on the Clubs Welfare Committee. This is supported in his role by a large number of committed volunteers. As a Club we have several good links with other Christian organisation locally. This Christmas the Club produced 12 readings, and a Christmas thought online. This was very well received by non-members and members alike and involved 12 different people including professional footballers reading twelve passages regarding the Christmas story in football settings. This was very popular and attracted over 3000 views on twitter. ## **Life Questions** These are normally organised during September – April and take place in a local Indian Restaurant and allow people to discover faith in a relaxed informal manner. Unfortunately, these have not happened this year but there is a renewed effort to ensure that these happen in the future. ## **First Team home Matches** The Club produced a full-colour 20-page Match Day Programme for every First team fixture. The programme is given out free to attendees and always includes a testimony from a high-profile Christian player, plus an article from the Club Chaplain along with other football and Club articles. The Club has over 300 copies printed and is available digitally. ## **Club Management** The Club is managed by the main Committee comprising Club Chairman Dave Courteen, Youth Chairman Darren Brown, Club Secretary and Director of Football Jonathan Warnock, Treasurer Nigel Johnson, Club Chaplain Tim Banks, Club Administrator Ruth Goddard, Club Welfare Officer Amos Owen and other members Caroline Owen and Sam Marsden. They meet every three months. Other committees include Adult Football Committee, Youth Football Committee, and Welfare Committee. ## **Awards Events** This year there were five Awards Annual events, three on a Saturday where Tobi Sho-Silva, a Christian footballer answered questions about his football career and faith. Over the course of the day over 900 people attended. During the following week we held an event at the Victory ground for u18 players that were leaving the Club. This was a very successful event with nearly 100 players and parents attending. The Adult Awards dinner was another highly successful evening with 100 people attending along with special guest Darren Moore, current Port Vale Manager. He shared his experiences of life as a professional footballer and his Christian faith. ## **Links** The Club also work with several other orgainisations including Sporting 87 Educational Trust, The Doxa Project and On Goal with whom we ran at weeks football camp in August in partnership with Rougham Baptist Church with over 90 youngsters attending. ## **Future Developments** The Club has continued to look at the possibility of owning our own 3G pitch in order to have greater training access and reduce the amount of money paid on hiring 3G facilities. It is also hoped that this new facility would allow the Club to progress up the non-League pyramid. The Clubs 3G facility project at the Victory Sports Ground has been given the number one priority case in the Local Football facilities report which should prove to be another step forward in our objective. ## **Finances** The Club made a small surplus this year, but the Club finances remain tight, and we were very grateful to receive funds from the following grants: - ## **Grants** West Suffolk Council £750 Football Foundation £18,346 Suffolk Community Fund for Family Support Fund £2250 Suffolk FA – Youth Retention Grant £600 Charities Trust £1000 Groundwork £1000 ## **TOTAL = £23,946** ## **Donations** Form various people totalling **TOTAL = £2460.51** Registered number 1162311 Sporting 87 Football Club Report and Accounts 31 May 2025 **Sporting 87 Football Club Registered number: 1162311 Trustees' Report** The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 May 2025. ## **Principal activities** The company's principal activity during the year continued to be community recreation ## **Trustees** The following persons served as trustees during the year: J Warnock N Johnson D Brown ## **Small company provisions** This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. This report was approved by the board on 4 March 2026 and signed on its behalf. D Brown Trustee 1 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Accountants' Report** ## **Accountants' report to the directors of Sporting 87 Football Club** You consider that the company is exempt from an audit for the year ended 31 May 2025. You have acknowledged, on the balance sheet, your responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. These responsibilities include preparing accounts that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the financial year. In accordance with your instructions, we have prepared the accounts which comprise the Profit and Loss Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes from the accounting records of the company and on the basis of information and explanations you have given to us. We have not carried out an audit or any other review, and consequently we do not express any opinion on these accounts. Johnson and Co Accountants Ltd 9 New Cheveley Road Newmarket Suffolk CB8 8BG 4 March 2026 2 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31 May 2025** |**Notes**
**Turnover**
Cost of sales
**Gross profit**
Administrative expenses
**Operating profit/(loss)**
2
Interest payable
3
**Profit/(loss) for the financial year**|**2025**
**£**
178,910
(124,414)
54,496
(48,841)
5,655
(1,514)
4,141|**2024**
**£**
150,268
(105,058)
45,210
(54,894)
(9,684)
(1,584)
(11,268)| |---|---|---| 3 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Balance Sheet as at 31 May 2025** |**Notes**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
4
**Current assets**
Stocks
Debtors
5
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: amounts falling due**
**within one year**
6
**Net current assets/(liabilities)**
**Net assets**
**Capital and reserves**
Profit and loss account
7
**Retained funds**|2,081
1,551
22,878
26,510
(22,593)|**2025**
**£**
13,685
3,917
17,602
17,602
17,602|2,081
1,624
20,921
24,626
(27,037)|**2024**
**£**
15,872
(2,411)
13,461
13,461
13,461| |---|---|---|---|---| The trustees are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Act. The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. J Warnock Trustee Approved by the board on 4 March 2026 4 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 May 2025** ## **1 Accounting policies** ## _**Basis of preparation**_ The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2015). ## _**Turnover**_ Turnover represents the value, net of value added tax and discounts, of goods provided to customers and work carried out in respect of services provided to customers. ## _**Depreciation**_ Depreciation has been provided at the following rates in order to write off the assets over their estimated useful lives. Plant and machinery 20% straight line ## _**Stocks**_ Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 5 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 May 2025** |**2**
**Operating profit**
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
**3**
**Interest payable**
Interest payable
**4**
**Tangible fixed assets**
**Cost**
At 1 June 2024
At 31 May 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 June 2024
Charge for the year
At 31 May 2025
**Net book value**
At 31 May 2025
At 31 May 2024
**5**
**Debtors**
Trade debtors
**6**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Bank loans and overdrafts
**7**
**Profit and loss account**
At 1 June 2024
Profit for the year
At 31 May 2025|**Land and**
**buildings**
**£**
20,000
20,000
6,000
2,000
8,000
12,000
14,000|**2025**
**£**
2,187
**2025**
**£**
1,514
**Plant and**
**machinery**
**etc**
**£**
2,889
2,889
1,017
187
1,204
1,685
1,872
**2025**
**£**
1,551
**2025**
**£**
22,593
**2025**
**£**
13,461
4,141
17,602|**2024**
**£**
2,000
**2024**
**£**
1,584
**Total**
**£**
22,889
22,889
7,017
2,187
9,204
13,685
15,872
**2024**
**£**
1,624
**2024**
**£**
27,037| |---|---|---|---| 6 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Detailed profit and loss account for the year ended 31 May 2025** |**Sales**
Cost of sales
**Gross profit**
Administrative expenses
**Operating profit/(loss)**
Interest payable|**2025**
**£**
178,910
(124,414)
54,496
(48,841)
5,655
(1,514)|**2024**
**£**
150,268
(105,058)
45,210
(54,894)
(9,684)
(1,584)| |---|---|---| 7 ## **Sporting 87 Football Club Detailed profit and loss account for the year ended 31 May 2025** |**Sales**
Sales
**Cost of sales**
Pitch and Training Hire
Referee Fees
Equipment and Kit
Affliation Fees
Adult Awards Evening
Staff costs
Tuck Shop
**Administrative expenses**
Employee costs:
Wages and salaries
Premises costs:
Rent and service fees
General administrative expenses:
Coaching
Stationery and printing
Golf Day
Victory Ground Project
Scholarships
Website
Life Assurance
Welfare
Depreciation
Donations and pastoral
Sundry expenses|**2025**
**£**
178,910
86,074
8,458
13,763
4,776
8,247
637
2,459
124,414
29,862
29,862
5,566
5,566
2,098
3,145
150
-
520
563
1,127
-
2,187
430
3,193
13,413
48,841|**2024**
**£**
150,268
61,065
6,645
23,629
2,212
7,434
1,439
2,634
105,058
35,337
35,337
5,268
5,268
2,051
2,993
3,822
150
-
874
1,127
1,272
2,000
-
-
14,289
54,894| |---|---|---| 8 Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of “Sporting 87 Football Club” I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31[st] May 2025 The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: - Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; - To follow the procedures laid down in general directions given by the commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; - To state whether particular matters have come to my attention. My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement. In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention. Name: Amanda Marks Date: 10[th] March 2026