Sheffield FC mull early kick-offs as club’s ‘crippling’ energy bills triple

Sheffield FC has discussed earlier kick-off times and LED lights to combat tripling bills.

Dylan Ralph, Head of Match Day Operations & Marketing, said: “Our utility bills have tripled over the past 16 months. 

“We are constantly looking at ways we can be more energy efficient, such as installation of LED floodlights and our electronic infrastructure, however the cost of this and the rise in energy bills has been crippling.”   

The proposed LED floodlights would replace the club’s current diesel generator-powered floodlights, which cost an average of £80 to £100 to run on a match day. 

Another option discussed in principle behind the scenes has been potential earlier kick-off times to limit floodlight usage, but this would need to be authorised by the league governing bodies. 

Other limiting factors to consider would be opposition travelling times and organising officials. A unified change for kick off times would also need to be agreed by all member clubs of the Northern Premier League East Division, in which the club currently sit 10th.

Sheffield FC are 10th in the Northern Premier League East Division, with average home attendances of 279

There are still many reasons to be positive however, as the world’s oldest club recently celebrated their 165th birthday.

Mr Ralph said: “Our birthday is always a special occasion, and the general mood of the club is great as we have a good on-field team.

“Things are moving quickly off the field too with our developments for a new stadium back in the city, which we will reveal more about this year.”

Currently known locally as the transport ground, the new site is set to include a 4,000-seater stadium called The Home of Football which, for the first time in the club’s history, will host all of the club’s teams on one site. 

The hope is that it will become an international visitor attraction where fans from every nation can visit where football first kicked off in 1857.

In the meantime it’s back to business on the pitch, as North Shields visit The Tuffnells Home of Football Stadium this Saturday.