Not all of us are getting paid top dollar like Ronaldo and Messi, not all of us have marketing deals still going on after we have retired like David Beckham and not all of us own multiple houses like Robbie Fowler.
A lot of us are on budgets, shoestring ones for most, and questions I get asked a lot are ones on how much will it cost me to play footy. Unlike Frodo, I’m not one to swerve a challenge, so I set myself the task of getting all the must haves, for under a £100. Was it possible? See my progress below. I’ve stuck to one website, my favourite, Unisport, so forgive the Euro pricing, don’t worry Tableau Tey (Cosby), I’ve converted them for you to good old British pounds sterling, so no need for any complex Tableau reporting! I’ve rounded up or down to the nearest £.
Football: although possible, there’s not much you can really do without the prime tool of the trade. The ball! These range hugely in price, but you can get a decent one for around the £10 mark. Have ball, will play…….simples. The challenge has been started, I feel like Richard Pryor out of Brewster’s Millions right now, but there’s still a long road ahead!
Price: £9
Total: £9
Shirt: We talked about kit in detail from one of my other posts. How it was worth going for a proper training t-shirt, and all the pros concerning the material and weight etc. You can get some good t-shirts on a budget. Sure you can find cheaper products from some of the lesser known brands like Hummel, Joma etc, but the bigger brands tend to release training ranges every season. So finding older seasoned kit can be easy and often they might be on clearance.
Price: £13
Total: £22
Shorts: Very much like the above, this was an easy find, nothing to see here people! The good thing about FC7 is that our home kit is all black, which is a colour you’ll often find in stock!
Price: £11
Total: £34
Socks: Won’t go too crazy, we’re on a budget so no time for grip or support socks. Just some bog standard footy ones. It’s good to point out that we have got all 3 of our clothing items from Nike, so going big brand, doesn’t necessarily mean big cost!
Price: £5
Total: £39
Shin pads: That’s the bulk of clothing done, and the total price is creeping up. I’ll admit I was worried at this point as I hadn’t even factored in footy boots, which I envisaged to be the biggest single cost. Although I suffer from dodgy ankles, not everyone does. So I’ve kept it simple and purchased a pair of slip in pads. They do the business.
Price: £6
Total: £45
Football boots: Right, this is probably the single largest cost you will have to think about in terms of outlay. I talked at length about boots in the past, so I don’t want to get dragged down in too much debate regarding the type of surface. Boots that come out fresh, are always really expensive, much like anything. But even then, the same model of boot often comes out in different pricing tiers, which represent the quality of the product. So, you can sacrifice a buttery soft kangaroo leather top for just synthetic plastic etc. Really loving these boots though and coming in at £32 I had to give myself a pinch. These aren’t just any boots too, Adidas Copa are a top go-to for many players, so you’re buying quality despite the price. These are FG/AG so fine for grass and 3G pitches, so you've covered your bases, in terms of surface and longevity.
Price: £32
Total: £77
Bag: Woohoo! We did it. But what are you going to carry all this sub £100 gear in? You’ll need a bag right. Again, there’s a big pricing range here. Because there’s all kind of sizes, makes and quality. I’ve gone with this ditty. Large and compartmentalised, so storage for clean and dirty kit. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know much about sports bags. Was usually a case of bunging everything I had in my work bag first thing in the morning. But the more I have begun to organise, the more I bear the responsibility of having everything to hand. Balls, kit, boots, pump etc, it’s a heavy burden to carry, get the pun, I’m good at this ha! I learnt a lot about bags, so will probably ping out a post on them, as there are a few options out there. Anyways I digress, check out our final total. We even have £1 spare, so you can put it towards your next subs. No excuses this time!
Price: £22
Total: £99
This post was playful, but it also shows that you can get everything you need for a kickaround for under £100. It serves a serious point, that with a small cost you can be well on your way to getting fitter, having fun, making friends and playing football! Which is what Football Club Se7en is all about. So get shopping, you don’t have any excuses now ballerz!
FINAL TOTAL: £99
Comments