Are you a decision maker at a grassroots football club such as a treasurer, a secretary, an admin officer or a coach and have been searching far and wide for the perfect team management platform for your club?

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Well, in this latest edition of our PLAI blog, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the key points of difference between PLAI and MyClubPro, to help you make an informed decision that can give your football club results both on and off the pitch.

Subscription Fees and Additional Charges

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Unlike a wide range of sports team management platforms, PLAI is subscription free for its users, with its full range of advanced features and functionalities for an unlimited number of teams available to all PLAI members at no extra cost.

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In contrast, to utilise MyClubPro’s team management services, you must first pay a subscription fee, with its base ‘Starter’ membership level costing users £10 a month. Furthermore, to access a greater array of MyClubPro’s team management tools and to open up the possibility to manage more than 5 teams, you must pay a higher monthly subscription fee for MyClubPro’s ‘Intermediate’ and ‘Pro’ membership levels, which cost £15 and £25 a month respectively.

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In addition to its subscription fees, MyClubPro also charges its users transaction fees for purchases and payment collection on their platform, with a higher fee (1.5%) charged for ‘Starter’ and ‘Intermediate’ users compared to ‘Pro’ users (1%). Fees are also charged for direct debit transactions through GoCardless, which stands at 1% + 20p.

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In contrast, PLAI does not charge a penny prior to YOU making money, by solely monetising through a small percentage keep on each transaction. In the UK, this is 2.9% on each transaction fee plus a 20ptransaction fee to the user.

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The PLAI shop is a critical tool for the smooth & timely collection of fees at the club and the PLAI model provides a risk-free relationship where you are not charged, if you’re not earning, in return for full platform adoption!

Mobile App

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Comparatively to MyClubPro which is a web-only platform, PLAI provides a free award winning mobile app for users on both iOS and Android.

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This team management app contains everything a football team could need in an all-in-one platform in the palm of your hand and with fingertip access, always. This includes the ability to instantly receive player availability, collect membership fees, announce team selections, a team chat feature, facility booking functionality, and much more on our user-friendly interface.

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With these innovative team management features, our app canhelp you streamline team communications, simplify team administration, boostmember engagement and maximise team revenue for your club.

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The effectiveness of our app is evidenced by our App Store and Capterra user reviews (4.9/5.0 and 5.0/5.0 respectively) as well as the 5prestigious awards we recently received (Get App Category Leaders 2024,Software Advice Front Runners 2024, Capterra Best Ease of Use 2024, Most Recommended 2024, Best Functionality and Features 2024).

If that’s not enough, hear firsthand from Maidstone United FC’s Head of Academy, how PLAI simplified and enhanced their sports team management, by clicking here.

Club Websites

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Although MyClubPro doesn’t offer football clubs a centralised mobile platform, it does provide clubs the ability to create a personalised club website with no setup fees which provides clubs with a range of features to aid sports team management. In MyClubPro’s most expensive subscription tier (Pro) it offers key features for football clubs including a member database, a digital payment gateway, player registrations, player statistics, sponsorship, a news and events section and more.  

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However, all clubs that join PLAI can create their own personalised club website completely free of charge, providing members with the opportunity to build a professional, intuitive website that can act as a team hub for players, staff and parents alike. This means PLAI members can manage their football club from multiple platforms depending on what suits their needs best at any one time, with the mobile and desktop platforms also providing their own specialised team management tools.

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To get the low down on the recent updates we’ve made to our mobile and web platforms, watch this helpful video tutorial.

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PLAI can also offer a variety of team management features and functionalities for football clubs that even MyClubPro’s Pro subscription tier can’t provide, let’s delve into these next…

PLAI’s Unique Features

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Facility booking functionality: This feature streamlines facility management and event scheduling through our integrated booking system, enabling team managers to reserve venues for upcoming events such as matches and training sessions, ensuring seamless operations for your club.

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Chat Feature: Streamline team communications and minimise WhatsApp overload with our team chat communication tool, allowing you to instantly message any member of your team in one centralised location on the PLAI app.  

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Player Availability Tracking: Player availability management has never been easier with the PLAI app, where you can instantly receive player availability for your team’s upcoming events through push notifications on your device.

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Price beat promise: We guarantee to match or beat any price you find for a team management platform, including MyClubPro, ensuring our users always get the best possible deal.

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Product Discounts: PLAI club members benefit from exclusive discounts on a wide range of sporting services, products, and equipment, making it easier to equip your entire team for success. This includes our newly announced partnership with Aford Awards, the UK’s leading trophy and medal engraving specialist, which you can learn more about by clicking here.

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Direct contact with the CEO: Every team in PLAI has direct access to our CEO, highlighting our leadership's dedication to open communication. To demonstrate this, here’s his email address: scott@plaisport.com

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Fantasy Gaming Elements: Enhance engagement with thrilling fantasy gaming features for your entire team, adding extra excitement to your matches while creating additional revenue for your club! To see how fantasy gaming works on the PLAI app and the benefits it can bring to your club, check out this visual guide.

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Priority Support: At PLAI Sport, we recognise the importance of smooth operations for your football club, which is why we provide priority support to our users. This service ensures quick response times, personalised assistance, and dedicated help to make your team management experience efficient and hassle-free. Whether you’re dealing with technical issues or need guidance on maximising the platform's features, our priority support team is here to keep your team performing at its best.

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Digital Membership Cards: Enhance member satisfaction and strengthen team bonding by offering personalised digital membership cards for everyone on the team.

Adaptability

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Although MyClubPro provides a commendable web-based team management platform for football clubs specifically, PLAI can offer the same level of advanced features and functionalities for clubs in an almost endless range of sports, with our platform supporting 120 sports in 175 global markets including football, cricket, rugby, netball, hockey, lacrosse, American football and much more!

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This highlights PLAI’s adaptability, with its ability to comprehensively provide effective sports team management to almost any sports club across the globe, regardless of the sport played, country of origin, or competitive level.

Conclusion

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In conclusion, when it comes to choosing the right team management platform for your grassroots football club, both PLAI and MyClubPro offer unique benefits, but they cater to different needs and priorities.

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PLAI stands out for its cost-effectiveness, providing a subscription-free experience with advanced features, a mobile app, and a range of innovative tools that enhance team management, communication, and member engagement. On the other hand, MyClubPro, while requiring a monthly subscription, offers a solid web-based platform with useful team management tools for football clubs specifically.

However, PLAI's additional features, such as facility booking, fantasy gaming elements, direct access to leadership, and adaptability across various sports, give it a significant edge, especially for clubs looking for a versatile and comprehensive solution. Whether your priority is cost efficiency, user engagement, or expansive functionality, PLAI is designed to support your club’s success on and off the pitch, making it a top choice for those looking to maximise their club’s potential without breaking the bank.

_{*Please note that the comparison provided here is a like-for-like analysis with the UK MyClubPro platform. Fees and terms detailed are aligned to PLAI deliverables in the region of the UK and other regions may vary. All transactions on PLAI are processed via Stripe for whom additionally charge 1.5% per transaction plus a 30p transaction fee on the user. The combined costs of PLAI and Stripe are factored into our price beat promise to ensure a net gain for the club. We recommend verifying specific details relevant to your location or jurisdiction, you can reach out for more information at support@plaisport.com any time.}

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_{As of August 22nd, 2024, the information provided by PLAI Sport is diligently sourced to ensure reliability and comprehensiveness. However, accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. PLAI Sport assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information on third-party websites referenced herein. Any trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.}