Shropshire FA - Supporting Football In Shropshire Since 1877
Shropshire FA is the governing body of football in Shropshire. SFA grows participation, promotes diversity and regulates the sport for everyone to enjoy.

With over 170 clubs, 1000 teams and 13,000 diverse players of all ages and abilities playing in the county, Shropshire FA plays a central role in supporting and developing grassroots football across the county and is proud to support Football For All.

As part of their ongoing efforts to modernise their communications and better connect with the football community, Shropshire FA partnered with STC-PR to bring a blend of strategic PR insight and hands-on stakeholder engagement experience.

Objectives

Raise awareness of Shropshire FA’s work across the county

Improve consistency and clarity of communications

Build stronger relationships with key stakeholders including clubs, schools, volunteers, local business community, press and local authorities

Position the organisation as approachable, transparent and community-focused

Our Approach

‍Working with the Shropshire FA team to understand the organisation’s culture, goals and communication challenges.

Developing and implementing a tailored PR and communications strategy built on three pillars:

Strategic Messaging & Media Relations

Crafting press materials, statements and campaign messaging

Identify media opportunities to showcase initiatives, events and success stories

Stakeholder Engagement

Mapping out key stakeholder groups and developing targeted outreach plans

Strengthen partnerships with community groups, local councils and football clubs

Internal & Digital Communications

Review and refine internal communication channels and advise on digital content strategy, including social media tone and website update

Increasing positive media coverage and brand visibility across  local and regional outlets and improving stakeholder sentiment through clearer, more proactive engagement

Providing more cohesive voice across internal and external platforms and strengthening reputation as a modern, community-driven organisation

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Case Study

Raising the Profile of Shropshire FA Through Strategic PR &Communications

‍March 2025 – January 2026

Client

Shropshire Football Association

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Challenge

Shropshire FA wanted to raise its profile beyond football administration and be recognised as a credible, professional and community-impact-led organisation across grassroots football, the wider community, regional media and Shropshire’s business sector.

The brief focused on building long-term reputation, strengthening leadership visibility, increasing partnership opportunities and clearly articulating the organisation’s social value -not through short bursts of publicity, but via consistent, strategic storytelling.

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Strategy

From March 2025 to mid-January 2026, PR and communications activity followed a slow-build, reputation-first approach, underpinned by four strategic pillars:

1. Profile & Reputation Building

Raising visibility of Shropshire FA, its leadership and its work across media, business and community audiences.

2. Business Engagement

Positioning Shropshire FA as a professional organisation with strong governance, commercial credibility and clear social value.

3. Storytelling Grassroots Impact

Amplifying the voices and achievements of people in the game, volunteers, clubs, young people, partners and communities, while showcasing inclusion, equality and wellbeing.

4. Digital Reach & B2B Growth

Growing the right audiences on the right platforms, particularly LinkedIn, supported by owned channels such as the monthly digital magazine.

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Key Activity & Delivery

Redesign & Relaunch of Monthly Digital Magazine

• Full redesign to improve storytelling, accessibility and professional impact
• Used as a core channel for partnerships, grassroots stories, women & girls’ football, disability football and     community case studies
• Database grown to 650+ subscribers, including clubs, business partners, MPs and key stakeholders

Results:

• Magazine readership increased from 85  reads (Feb 2025) to 550+ reads per issue post-relaunch
• +18% increase in magazine subscribers

Business Partner Brochure: Social Value & CSR Focus

A major step forward in Shropshire FA’s commercial infrastructure.

• First-ever Business Partnership Brochure  launched September 2025
• Clear articulation of £128m community social value impact
• Stronger narrative for sponsorship and  CSR conversations
• Used as a core asset in meetings,  presentations and networking

Impact:

• Improved confidence and clarity in commercial discussions
• Professional positioning aligned with business and CSR audiences

Media Relations & Editorial Coverage

Consistent press engagement reinforced credibility and visibility.

• 40 news stories and editorials secured in written press
• Multi-page features aligned with national     moments (International Women’s Day, Women’s Euros, International Men’s     Day)
• Coverage in the FA Monthly National     Newsletter on three occasions since May 2025

Estimated PR Value:

• Approx. £40,000 AVE (indicative)
• Real value exceeded this through credibility, business engagement and partnership leads

Editorial Themes:

• Partnerships & sponsorship
• Governance & professionalism
• Community impact & social value
• Inclusion & equality
• Youth voice & leadership
• Mental health & wellbeing

Digital Growth (Organic)

March 2025 – 7 January 2026

• LinkedIn: +155.2% growth (204 → 521 followers)
• Facebook: +11% growth (+604 followers)
• Instagram: +33% growth (+301 followers)
• TikTok (launched Oct 2025):
  
   
  • 1,027 followers
   
  • 188k views
  Engagement Highlights:

• Facebook: 1.3m views, 9.3k interactions
• Instagram: 177.5k views, 2.3k  interactions

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LinkedIn emerged as a key B2Bplatform, attracting senior leaders and decision-makers.

Reputation Outcomes

By the end of 2025,Shropshire FA was increasingly recognised not only as a football governing body, but as a community, business and social-impact leader.

The organisation is now seen as:

• Forward-thinking and professional
• Inclusive and equality-driven
• Invested in young people and future  leadership
• Business-minded, with clear social value credentials
• Strategically raising its profile across the county

This reputation directly underpins future funding, partnerships and influence.

Looking Ahead: 2026 & Beyond

With momentum building towards Shropshire FA’s 150th anniversary, priorities include:

• CEO profile raising through events, interviews and thought leadership
• Targeted B2B storytelling
• Stronger presence in economic, education and CSR conversations
• Continued focus on social value, women & girls’ football, inclusion and youth leadership
• Diversification of partnerships and sponsorships

Conclusion

From March 2025 to mid-January 2026, strategic PR and communications activity has:

• Built a stronger, more respected  Shropshire FA brand
• Increased reach, relevance and reputation
• Delivered tangible commercial results
• Amplified community voices and social impact
• Established a credible platform for long-term growth

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PR is delivering - and the momentum is now gathering pace.

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