Ex-pro footballer launches new kids soccer franchise

Soccer Stars Academy looking for franchisees throughout the UK

Soccer Stars Academy, a thriving fun football class provider for children aged between 18 months and nine years, has launched as a franchise.

The business, based in Scotland, was established in 2017 by ex-professional footballer and PE teacher Mark Molloy and his wife Siobhan after realising there were limited football classes suited to their three-year-old son Louie.

It’s now looking for franchisees throughout the UK.

With Louie lacking confidence and about to start nursery, Mark and Siobhan wanted something that would help develop his confidence and social skills.

As a result, Mark decided to create his own football classes for kids that centred around the academy’s FRIENDS acronym - fun, rewarding, inclusive, energetic, nurturing, develops confidence and skill progression.

Fast forward three years and Soccer Stars Academy is now running 28 classes per week coaching over 500 kids. 

Mark explains: “Since the launch of Soccer Stars Academy, we’ve been blown away with its success.

“High quality and fun football coaching for kids is in such high demand and lockdown has just increased this demand as parents look to get their children out the house and involved in healthy, active and challenging activities with their friends.

“I’ve played football most of my life and growing up I played with various Scottish and English Premier League clubs, including Celtic, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton. I’ve also represented Scotland at various youth group levels.

“After being forced to retire early from football due to injury, I then trained as a PE teacher and worked in secondary schools for over 10 years.

“So all the experience and qualifications I have in football, plus teaching, has enabled me to create the perfect environment for children to not only learn football skills, but also boost their confidence and social and cognitive skills.”

Mark says he decided to franchise the business as it was the only way to keep up with demand.

He adds: “A Soccer Stars Academy franchise is an affordable and profitable business that’s proven to work.

“By following SSA’s carefully laid out business plan, which already has all the proven systems and processes in place, a franchisee could realistically have their SSA business in place and up and running within two months.

“There are so many legitimate reasons to invest with us, ranging from having a fantastic work-life balance and setting your own business hours, to giving a great service to your local community.

“You also don’t need to be a football coach to invest, as like me you can employ coaches.

“Our financial projections estimate in year one you can earn £45,000, which is based on having three venues, each having four classes running on a Saturday morning with class capacity of 75 per cent.

“We believe these targets are conservative and very achievable for a potential franchisee. Year two projections, you would be looking to at least double these earnings.” 

A Soccer Stars Academy franchise costs £12,000.

The company has agreements in place with several major banks to potentially fund up to 70 per cent of the start-up fee plus working capital.

As well as in-depth training and ongoing support, franchisees will get an exclusive and professionally mapped territory, which Soccer Stars Academy says “will allow for significant growth”.