If you’ve been worried about whether your favourite team would survive Covid-19…, we don’t blame you. It’s been a hard time for an industry that relies on people standing shoulder-to-shoulder in stadiums.
Well, worry no longer! We’re here to share some good news. Thanks to platforms like Raffall, sports teams have been able to adapt to the strange new world we have been plunged into.
Raffall has provided sports clubs with an alternative source of revenue that has not only seen our favourite teams safely through lockdown, but has also brought them a lot closer to their fans.
(Which is pretty impressive, given that social distancing means that, physically speaking, they can’t actually get anywhere near their fans!)
Let me explain:
Why we couldn’t let sports teams suffer
Whether you can recite the League Tables by heart or are blissfully unaware of how the offside rule works, nobody can deny that sport plays an important role in our communities. Ever since a caveman first picked up a rock and thought “I bet I can throw this further than Grug can”, sport has been a huge influence on the way we live, think, and even behave.
For example, sport brings communities together. There is nothing like the camaraderie of standing in a packed terrace, cheering on your team with fellow fans.
Sport is also great for our bodies and our minds — whether we’re playing or watching. In fact, it’s so good for us that the UN advised governments around the world to find safe ways for people to enjoy sports during lockdown.
Sport empowers people by building up their self-esteem and teaches them to challenge themselves. It even raises people from impoverished communities to the height of stardom. For example, a little boy from the Argentine slums who once nearly drowned in a cesspit grew up to become one of the greatest footballers who have ever lived.
All in all, sport is a great force for good in the world — and that’s even before we get into the amazing charity and fundraising work that sports teams from the biggest Premier League names down to the tiniest 5-a-side clubs are known for.
Sport is a huge deal and back in 2019, we were enjoying it more than ever…… and then along came Covid.
When Covid tried to kill sport
Here’s the thing about a highly contagious respiratory virus: it loves nothing more than a bunch of people pressed together, roaring out team chants from the bottoms of their lungs with their mouths wiiiiide open. If Covid could dream, it would dream of sporting events.
Governments simply had to shut down sports. Just like they had to shut down everything else. It was a matter of public safety.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard on the teams.
Even the Premier League was affected by lockdown restrictions, so you can easily imagine the impact on grassroots sports — local clubs, youth teams, niche sports and so on.
These grassroots teams are where many of sports’ finest qualities are concentrated. It’s through these teams that ordinary people like you and I get involved with sports. They’re where we can all experience sport up close and at its best.
What’s more, these small clubs are often integral to building communities and helping out the most vulnerable. They can even sway young people from gangs and violent crime by redirecting their energies into sports.
It was crucial that these grassroots clubs did not disappear due to loss of income during Covid-19. So, they had no choice but to find new ways to make money.
That’s where Raffall comes in.
How Raffall helps sports clubs to survive Covid-19
Raffall provides a safe, socially distanced, and inclusive way for organisations to make money. For those sports teams that suddenly found themselves without stadiums, pitches, fans or fixtures, Raffall has been a lifesaver.
By running competitions, these teams could keep engaging with their fans in a fun way while simultaneously keeping the coffers full.
The great thing about competitions is that they’re fun. People hand over their money to attend a sporting event because they enjoy it. Competitions can provide a similar kind of thrill; everyone has experienced that keen spark of hopeful anticipation as a raffle is drawn. By running competitions, teams can keep adding value for their fans, in exchange for those vital funds.
Best of all, the teams were raffling things that were easy for them to give away, but which had amazing value for their fans. Player shirts, for example, are extremely easy for teams to replace — but for fans, they’re treasured relics of incredible matches. So, everybody gets a great deal.
One group that has benefited enormously from Raffall is the members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, who have had great fun raffling signed jerseys and running 50/50 draws.
Here are some of our favourite examples:
Ice Hockey team Manchester Storm have taken full advantage of what Raffall has to offer. As well as running 50/50 draws, they’ve been auctioning signed player jerseys.
Not to be outdone by their Lancashire neighbours, ice hockey team the Sheffield Steelers have also been auctioning player shirts, including the shirts worn by players when they beat the Cardiff Devils to win the Challenge Cup.
The Cardiff Devils ice hockey team may not have those Challenge Cup shirts to auction… but they’ve still got plenty to offer their eager fans! Their multiple prize draw included goodies like signed helmets and player portraits.
Ice hockey couldn’t keep it all to themselves — football clubs have also been getting in on the action. Bristol City FC have been running matchday draws on Raffall, in which lucky winners can win up to £1000.
Best of all, the proceeds from these raffles go towards Bristol City’s official charity, the Robins Foundation.
Adaptation is the key to survival
Darwin may not have been anticipating the Ice Hockey Elite League and a global pandemic when he noted that adaptability is the most important quality needed for survival. But the principle still applies!
Covid-19 presented the world with a totally unprecedented situation. It would have been very easy for industries like sports to take a huge hit. Many teams and clubs may not have survived at all.
However, thanks to platforms like Raffall, the most adaptable teams found a way to keep their finances afloat while also providing value for their fans. It is a win/win situation, and Raffall are proud to have enabled it.
As the world slowly returns to normal, we wish all of our sports teams and fans the very best! Here’s to a great new sporting season!
To learn more about how Raffall can help you raise the funds you might need, visit www.raffall.com.
