In The Box

Have we got an In The Box podcast for you!
Lionesses’ manager Sarina Wiegman, England legends Kelly Smith MBE & Karen Bardsley – and hundreds of thousands of young players – join us for a celebration of girls’ football in The Biggest Ever Football Session.  

Join us on location in London and Manchester.  

See what equal access in the girls’ game means up close and personal. Hear from Lionesses legends about their experience. Discover where the girls’ game is going after the legacy of the Lionesses, and ahead of the Women’s World Cup.  

There‘s too much to unpack here…so get watching #InTheBox! 

Welcome to our latest In The Box podcast.

This month, Tom and Charlotte are taking a good look at club facilities.

How can your club secure better facilities? How can they help your club grow? Where should you be looking, and how do you make it happen?

It’s why we’ve made facilities the subject of our latest #InTheBox podcast. 

Join us as we travel to Birmingham to join Bournville Warriors for an inspiring chat with Chair Wayne, Facilities Manager Mark, Founder Rav and Club Consultant Russ. 

From sourcing new facilities, to making first contact, to operating a successful win: win partnership, to fresh thinking, discover all this and more #InTheBox!

Welcome to the first In The Box episode of 2023, and it couldn’t be better timed or more relevant.  

We’re looking at the impact of the cost of living crisis on grassroots football. And, more importantly, hearing great ways you can make sure your club gets it hands on a bigger share of funding to build a sustainable future.  

Join us as we travel to a windy Clitheroe Wolves FC , where hosts Tom Lee and Charlotte Richardson hear from leadership team Ross and Richard, and FA Club Consultant Mark as they share invaluable knowledge, insights and top tips.  

From structuring your club to open up funding, to maximising the value of your network, to thinking outside the box to bring more money in, discover all this and more #InTheBox!  

Welcome to the last In The Box episode of 2022, during which we consider the remarkable value of community to your club. 

Have you ever thought about the barriers that can prevent girls and women playing football and enjoying it?  

Ever considered the importance of body confidence or wondered how we can help girls overcome these obstacles?  

A Winning Mentality is important in football right?

Of course, but it's so much more than what happens after kick-off.

England’s Greatest XI?

Do you know the value of volunteers to our game? Ever thought about the countless ways volunteers help our leagues and clubs play their way?

On a visit to Morpeth Town AFC, In The Box presenters Tom and Charlotte turn the spotlight on our game’s invaluable volunteers.

It’s perfect timing, with 2022’s England Football and McDonalds Grassroots Football Awards nomination season upon us.

Joining us to give the inside track are grassroots volunteers champion Paul Kirton, Steve Bell and Ian Coates, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Northumberland Football Leagues, and last year’s National Award winner Michael Pieri of Omonia Youth FC speaking with England Men’s manager Gareth Southgate.

All this and more, In The Box.

Did you know over 45,000 players take part in the Non League Football System in England?

It's also where some of the purest football is played, according to our expert guest Tony Incenzo, who's been to over 2000 different grounds as both his passion and as a reporter for Sky Sports and talkSport.

Tom and Charlotte are also joined by Laurence Jones, Head of the NLS at The FA and special hosts @Harborough Town FC as they learn more about this level of the game ahead of Non League day on the 26th March 2022. 

All this and more, In The Box.

In The Box is back and bigger than ever for Season 3.

Did you know that over 90% of football clubs play on grass pitches?

Well, when Tom and Charlotte found out they hit the road to get the best tips and tricks to keep your pitch looking perfect all through the season. 

 In this episode we visit Mowbray Rangers FC, we hear from ' the Messi of mowing and growing' John Ledwidge, Head of Sports Turf and Grounds at Leicester City FC and we partnered up with the Football Foundation who are on a mission to unlock the power of your pitch with their PitchPower web app. 

All this and more, In The Box.

Want to get in touch with a great story we should be covering?

Tom and Charlotte round up Season 2 with a look back at some of their favourite interviews and the best tips from their travels.

We revisit the Grassroots Football Awards at Wembley, take a stop at Hashtag United before hearing from Baroness Sue Campbell ahead of the Womens Euros this summer.

There's also a look ahead to Season 3 which promises to bigger and better than ever!

All this and more, In The Box.

Meet Spencer Carmichael-Brown, aka Spencer Owen or Spencer FC, the Co-Chair of Hashtag United, one of the fastest growing clubs in the Country. Tom Lee and Charlotte Richardson caught up with Spencer to find out what the club stands for, how he aims to make the club sustainable and why being part of his community is important to him.

Spencer runs his own YouTube channel, Spencer FC, as well as presenting and commentating for FIFA Esports.

You'll find it all, In The Box.

Welcome to our second special women and girls mini series of In The Box.

This episode Charlotte meets Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA Director of Women’s Football. We follow Sues entry in to sport and how she came to be involved in football. Why she sees football as the best way to make change in our country and some of the ways she's shaped that with her team. 

All this and more, In The Box.

For more on the #LetGirlsPlay campaign why not watch or listen to our full In The Box episode –

Welcome to the first in our special women and girls mini series of In The Box.

This episode Charlotte gets the chance to sit down with Kelly Simmons, The FA Director of the Women’s Professional Game. We get inside Kelly’s career and how The FA are planning for the future gamechangers. More opportunities for more women and girls to play football at any level they choose. Plus how winning the Euros next summer could be a springboard to equal access and the success Kelly’s already seeing.

All this and more, In The Box.

For more on the #LetGirlsPlay campaign why not watch or listen to our full In The Box episode –

We want girls to play football!

This month on In The Box, Tom puts Charlotte on the other end of the questions to explain a project close to her heart.

Plus the team are joined by Gamechangers who are making a difference in their leagues, clubs and communities, getting more girls playing football.  

It's all about the new #LetGirlsPlay campaign, what it's about, who it's for and how to get involved and make a difference.

All of this and more, In The Box.

Welcome back to another episode of In The Box. 

This month we unpack the Football Leadership Diversity Code for the non-professional game. Tom and Charlotte go behind the scenes at St. George’s Park to talk about how the code has been designed, what it means for the grassroots game and what it aims to achieve over the next 5 to 10 years.

Edleen John, Diversity and Inclusion Director and James Kendall, Director of Football Development join the episode to give us the low down on the new Football Leadership Diversity Code and how it will help the game within non-league and grassroots football to be more diverse and inclusive both on and off the pitch.

To read or find out more about the Football Leadership Diversity Code visit www.TheFA.com/FLDC

Welcome to England Football Accredited miniseries brought to you by In The Box. Listen to Episode 1 of this series where Tom Lee talks about the transition from FA Charter Standard to England Football Accreditation and what it means for your accredited league or club.

To find out more visit:

Welcome to a very special In The Box where we're on the road behind the scenes at this years England Football & McDonalds Grassroots Heroes awards. 

Tom and Charlotte meet some of the amazing heroes who went above and beyond in 2021, hearing their stories and how they've made a difference to their communities.

Casey Stoney tell's us why this is her favourite event every year and Tom and Charlotte even get on the pitch to watch our winners be celebrated.  

All this and more, In The Box.

More Kick, Less Click, The Technology Supporting your game.

In this episode of In The Box we chat to the people who deliver and use the latest technology to help them run and administer the game. They take us through what’s on the horizon, all designed so you can spend more time playing and enjoying the game.

Book on to the free In The Box Extra Time webinar on Tuesday 17 August at 7pm as we focus on the updated Matchday app and find out how it saves clubs time organising their game.

Welcome to Season 2 of In The Box.

We’re starting off on the road, out in the grassroots football community for the very first time.

In this episode we’re meeting Sporting Khalsa, a cornerstone for their local community just celebrating their 30 year anniversary. 

Tom and Charlotte get to meet Jasbir Batt, who’s at the heart of making sure the club is inclusive, and available for all. 

And they speak to Kelly Williams, a club volunteer who’s striving to make sure the club has an impact on the lives of its players but also its coaches and volunteers.

All of this and more, In The Box.

If you’ve got any questions or you’d like us to feature your club on a future episode, get in touch! 

The final episode in our current season of In The Box.

In this episode Charlotte get's the chance to put Tom and The FA National Services team through their paces as they discuss the new England Football and its impact.

Tom then gets the chance to chat to Kim from England Football Learning about how the changes will affect and energise qualifications and learning for everyone in football.

Survive, revive and thrive, taking a closer look at your grassroots football strategy and what it means for the game up until 2024.

With insight from James Kendall, The FA Director of football development and Grassroots Football UK owner Paul Kirton.

In this month’s Extra Time we’ve collected information from experts and grassroots clubs and leagues like you, to help you on this journey as we Return to Football.

To get the most out of this webinar share the relevant sections with people in your club or league and be confident and prepared to return to football.

We break down the COVID government guidance, what it means for you and where to find more information.

We discuss and give advice on how to ease your players back into the football environment.

Find out the latest support and funding to apply for. 

And hear from other clubs and leagues – getting inspiration and advice to get your grassroots football club and league back as you return to football.

In this episode we talk all about the grassroots football family.

The volunteers who make our game special week in, week out.

We discuss how to reward and recognise these awesome individuals and groups of people.

We reflect on international women’s day and our first virtual The FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Awards 2020.

Our 2020 Bobby Moore Award winner gets a surprise from the gaffer, Gareth Southgate!

We speak to Sarah Nickless, who has tips to get more young people involved in your club and league.

If that wasn't enough we also have former England international and McDonalds fun football ambassador Martin Keown, talking about the importance of volunteers in grassroots football.

This is In The Box Extra Time, taking a closer look at the support available for Grassroots Football Clubs and Leagues.

In this extra time episode we tell you all about fundraising and gift aid benefits of being a CASC or Charity.

You'll also understand:

• What is a CASC, what are the benefits and how do you become one
• What is gift aid, how to set it up and what you can claim gift aid on
• Ideas on fundraising 

Welcome back to In The Box Episode 2, the podcast for grassroots football.

In this episode, find out what The FA Charter Standard is and the benefits of accreditation plus the difference it has made to grassroots clubs and leagues. 

We speak to Dawn Barnett from Southern Sunday Football League who has helped 80 clubs (and counting) through accreditation. She tells us why she believes in the programme and her top tips to engage clubs. 

We also chat to Terry Jennings from Chadderton Park who explains the impact accreditation has had on his players. 

Keep listening to find out how accreditation is evolving keeping it fit for purpose for the future.

Subscribe to In the Box for great expert advice and tips every month to put your grassroots football club or league at the top of your game. 

This is Making the most of what you have an In The Box Extra Time episode, where we take a closer look at the support available for grassroots football Clubs and Leagues.

In this episode you'll understand:

• How volunteer organisations such as WCAVA can help support your club or league with relevant services.
• How to audit within your organisation who is who and what they do to save and make money.
• How to utilise facilities you either own, lease or hire can lead to partnerships, serving the community and generating an income.
• How Sport England’s new strategy is community focused and how you can play your part. 

This is Get Fit For Funding, the first episode of the In The Box Extra Time series where we take a closer look at the support available for Grassroots Clubs and Leagues.

This episode is all about funding, at the end you should understand how: 

• Governance, structures and partnerships are key to be fit for funding
• How COVID-19 may impact us all
• The importance of long term planning, offer vs need
• And some great examples of thinking outside the box 

Cash is king, and your grassroots football club relies on it to survive.

In this episode of In the Box, you’ll find expert advice on how to manage and boost your club’s cash-flow, along with some brilliant and 100% practical marketing tips to keep you and supporters better engaged during lockdown and beyond.

Subscribe to In the Box for great expert advice and tips every month to put your grassroots football club or league at the top of your game.