For many people every other Saturday, the pilgrimage to the football stadium represents a passion, a sense of belonging, an identity, and a purpose. Away days are great but much different from playing at home, which is a lot more familiar with the stadium and holds a lot of significance to the football supporter, regardless of the club involved.
Fans are passionate about supporting their team, but what if going to the ground takes on a different meaning? Some fans combine their passion or interest in football with employment, as there is an abundance of football jobs available for different types of people, particularly at the top level.
At any football ground on any given matchday, it takes a lot of busy people to make the game happen, beyond those out on the pitch.
Think of stewards, catering staff, those in hospitality, programme vendors, ticket staff and many more. There is so much that is always going on behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly on the pitch.
Here is a list of the different roles you can play at football clubs and football stadiums.
Football hospitality staff
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Hospitality packages are now part of every football club in the UK and beyond. But to make sure every special guest at a football match gets the best VIP treatment, there is hospitality staff dedicated to ensuring those who purchase hospitality match tickets get elite treatment and corporate experience.
From food to drinks and even access to VIP sections, so much work happens behind the scenes to give you an unforgettable experience. It takes lots of work and dedicated staff to make that happen, highlighting the significance of hospitality staff jobs in any modern football stadium today.
For example, in the executive boxes, waiting staff and club legends are on standby to provide the desired experience for patrons. After the game, there is usually some kind of live interview with a player, or perhaps more ex-players reviewing the events on the pitch.
Football steward jobs
A question that comes to mind whenever football stewards are mentioned is why are there so many of them at football stadiums, especially when they don't particularly do much.
It is always all about numbers. With that, the bigger the crowd within the stadium, the more stewards are required.
This is typically a casual staff role, helping people with finding their seats, checking bags or being the first port of call if help is required. Around the pitch and in the segregation areas for more high-profile games, football stadium stewards undertake lighter security roles such as ensuring that opposition fans are kept apart. They also remove any intruders from the pitch.
Football ticket staff
Plenty of football clubs will still have tickets available on the day of the game or will have a ‘pay at the gate' facility, particularly for those further down the football pyramid.
Those involved may be club staff who perform other roles during the week or part-timers for when the ticket office opens on a match day. In non-league, volunteers are mostly involved in matchday ticketing.
While automated turnstiles have operated electronically with smartcards and QR codes, football ticketing staff have remained as important as they were before.
Football bar staff
In the concourse, you will find outlets for fans to get something to eat or a drink. The many outlets in the big stadiums require plenty of staff to keep things ticking over, especially in keeping up with the demand for beer from thirsty supporters.
This is the case in England, but in Scotland, the sale of alcohol in general admission areas (in the stands) is not permitted.
Usually around 90 minutes before kick-off, a steady stream will gather under the stand to have a drink, some banter and get the atmosphere going. It is very much a football thing!
Again, casual staff will be required to keep the food and drink replenished, to organise and tidy as the day goes on.
Football merchandise staff
Another important job at a football stadium revolves around selling club merchandise. More staff will be required in the club store on matchday but in addition to that, there will be more merchandise to sell on the day of the game.
For small clubs, this could represent a small offering just beyond the turnstiles whilst the top clubs will have mobile outlets offering all of the essentials for a football fan at the stadium.
Matchday means programmes as well so this staple requires a lot of people to take the money and hand them over. In this digital age, programme sales and demand remain relatively strong so as long as that is maintained, the classic souvenir of the football match will remain.
To the Programme Sellers at non-league football grounds: Your dedication adds a special touch to every match day.
Thanks for preserving the tradition and providing fans with cherished keepsakes.
We see and appreciate you! pic.twitter.com/rvV1rhAveJ
— Non-League Volunteers (@nonleaguevol) October 27, 2023
Stadium medical jobs
Football is a contact sport, so injuries among players remain a distant possibility in every encounter between clubs. With that, the role of medical staff in football stadiums cannot be understated.
From matchday medical staff that attend to injured players, and physiotherapists in the dressing room to those who assess player fitness before and after matches, medical jobs at a football stadium are as indispensable as ever.
Stadium cleaning and maintenance jobs
Stadium cleaning and maintenance is another job you can do at the football stadium. The job description includes ensuring the match venue is in good condition before, during the half-time break and after a match.
It is one of the jobs that pay well, especially in football stadiums with the best atmosphere. A cleaning job at a top-flight stadium undoubtedly pays more given the mess that is often left behind after 90 minutes.
Non-matchday club staff
The vast majority of us will never realise our dreams of playing for our beloved clubs, but some do experience the thrill of working for our favourite team and the honour of being a club representative.
Aside from the football squad, the coaching staff and those who supplement them such as the medical people, there are plenty of positions that need to be filled. These are full-time professional roles in recognised areas across the whole operation at a football club.
These roles range from administration staff to supporting the executive management team, to the marketing department which will be supplemented by sales staff for essential merchandise requirements through to high ticket corporate income. In these modern times, the big clubs will have staff dedicated to social media and club channels. There will be a team of press officers and media relations people too.
A team of ground staff is required for the pitch at the stadium as well as the training ground. The big clubs will have full-time ticket office staff as well as those involved with stadium tours and museums.
The list goes on and on. There is something that will interest many people with a decent chance of getting into one of the roles, especially for younger people.
Casual jobs on a matchday are routinely advertised whilst full-time employment at a football club will be harder to come by, but it is still worth pursuing to secure a desired role to work at a football stadium.
How to find football jobs
Here are some websites and sources we recommend:
For jobs in football media, follow @garytaphouse on Twitter.
For jobs across the sport, head to jobsinfootball.com
Check out the ‘jobs' page at Premier League and EFL clubs, you might find something that takes your fancy!