OXTED, UK. June 25th, 2026 – A survey of 112 local sport administrators has revealed teams close to folding, families priced out, and girls playing in hand-me-down kits designed for boys as the World Cup is set to bring more children to the game.
New research by Kit Funder, the not-for-profit platform connecting sports teams with business funding, surveyed 112 grassroots organisers across the country. The research found that two thirds do not have a full, matching set of kit for every team they run. 74% say the cost of kit limits what they are set up to do, and for 38% it limits significantly.
Of the clubs without full kit, some wear ageing or mismatched strips, some cover only certain teams, and others struggle to provide kit at all. Organisers describe holding off on subs rises through a cost-of-living crisis while running out of room to do so. One put it simply: “We are trying to avoid charging parents more in a cost-of-living crisis, but we may not have much choice.”
64% of clubs already run a girls’ or women’s team, and interest has grown for nearly three quarters of them. However, kit remains a big problem, with one coach saying the girls share kit designed for boys and are not happy with it. Another runs a girls’ under-15 side who are still wearing shirts from several seasons ago: “Cost is a massive issue and we struggle to find sponsorship.”
Scott Taylor, Chipstead FC U11 Manager said: “The cost of living is tough at the moment and paying for a football kit is another cost that hits hard. It often means players wearing hand-me-downs or previous seasons’ kits. I want all my players wearing a kit that fits and that makes them feel part of the team.”
The findings come as 96% of organisers say the World Cup inspires grassroots participation, and 45% are planning club activities this summer, from watch parties to themed training sessions.
Kit Funder aims to close the gap by matching teams and community groups to a local business that funds co-branded kit. Registration is free and Kit Funder has partnered with My Club Group, which supplies over 11,000 teams across Europe, to manufacture and deliver the kits in sizes and designs made for the players who wear it.
Kit Funder is a not-for-profit company and donates 5% of every invoice to a local mental health charity, currently Clockwork.
Verena von Treskow-Buchmann, Head of Kit Funder said: “Grassroots clubs are doing more with less every season. Kit is one cost too many, and it lands hardest on the teams forming now, including girls playing in shirts cut for the boys. We match clubs with local businesses who fund kit made to fit, so cost is not the reason a child sits out.”
Teams looking to find funded kit and brands looking to support teams can register for free at kitfunder.ai.
