“It started off as a small idea which grew arms and legs.”
Every small idea in your mind has the potential to rise up and keep flying but it doesn’t launch without your willpower. This wasn’t any different when Team finder Scotland came to be.
Greg Lloyd came up with the idea after a firm belief that a football community needs to have the right sense of togetherness, and teamwork to move forward and thrive in a world fuelled with money and uncertainty.
Greg’s main idea was to help progress and introduce players back into the beautiful game which can also be unforgiving at times. Even the smallest hits of failure in a sport that you love can deliver a dent that might not help you at all- finding a new team, or a team that will offer you a way back into the game is a proper lifeline for some players.
How TFS fares in the community
“Since TFS started I couldn’t put a number on how many players, volunteers etc have approached us, we try our best to help them out regardless of race, religion, disability.”
TFS aims to provide a better pathway and a shining light in Scottish football, whether it be amateur (BAFL, LEAFA etc.), semi-professional (EoS, WoS, LL, HL etc) and even sometimes professional (SFL) footballers.
Players aren’t Greg’s only “target consumers” though, clubs are amongst some of the contactees that find themselves amongst his Twitter, Instagram or Facebook notifications. Sometimes a team will be looking for more committed players and will need to delve into a deep search- TFS makes it easier.
An interesting innovation by Greg, the TFS Podcast, is also currently up and running via audio and music platform Soundcloud. Numerous informative queries to some of the important figures in grassroots football. In the most recent one, manager Kev Wright- of returning East of Scotland outfit Eyemouth United- was the special guest to give a brief summary.
How TFS works
A simple retweet, share or re-distribution of a club’s post can make a huge difference. TFS knows the value of being able to aid the sharing of a certain piece of information and won’t hesitate to do so.
We all strive to get to the top one day (above pictured Jamie Vardy, in his amateur days)
Greg would also help individuals find a club. If a player contacts privately they are able to have their position, age, and preference of level advertised privately online. This would gain interest from clubs and eventually result in trials/signing.
Privacy is taken seriously at TFS, Greg makes sure any ties with former clubs are stable and that the player is allowed to leave without problems.
Financial struggles
“I was delighted to win the Peebles Rovers’ scratchcard. It helped the TFS logo out there via their training kits, and has helped a small club raise vital funds”
Referring back to the beginning- this is a world ruled by monetary values. TFS is no different from any other service and would often struggle with money.
Even though the service is free, Greg knows that money is crucial. Donations are purely welcome at TFS, whilst Greg tries his best to re-invest some of the money back into grassroots and semi-professional football as he knows the struggles they may have.
TFS is always on the lookout to connect with more people. Sponsors or new associates who may be able to give Greg ideas on how to move forward and some new innovations to help TFS to keep rising and helping more people.
Tackling the stigma of racism, ableism, and mental health.
“Ideally I would love Team Finder to grow into a place for anyone leaving a team or even a professional side to come see us for help, even just a chat”
Mental health is a big, big killer amongst us and TFS is doing its part to help our community. Anyone can have a chat with Greg in PM’s if they’re feeling low. In the unforgiving world of football, people may bottle their emotions up rather than express them to their coaches, fellow teammates in embarrassment.
Greg’s own experience has been in a bad situation, such as repeated sports injuries keeping him out of the game affecting him very badly in mental and physical ways. For Greg, partnering with a mental health association and using the resource for affected players is a big deal. Taking people out of the darkness is something Greg enjoys doing and means so much to him.
Racism and ableism in football is a big parasite. It kills the feeling of the game where people are supposed to forget their problems whilst on the pitch. TFS will help anyone regardless of their disability, skin colour or religion. Both racism and ableism will inflict mental damage and ultimately cut down on a players’ confidence, which is undoubtedly an important aspect as a footballer.
TFS are doing the Scottish Grassroots football community a massive favour doing this. It’s a brilliant way to raise awareness whilst tackling the problem itself. They have since partnered with a mental health awareness group who have grown in popularity since, thanks to the beautiful teamwork between the two.
Summarisation of TFS's work
To end the article, Greg’s actions should not go unnoticed within the grassroots community. His work at TFS has seen him gain popularity and passion for the game behind the TFS logo. Finding a player a team can obviously create new memories, achievements and even boost morale. A team isn’t just a group of sportspeople- it’s supposed to be a band of brothers
We will end the article on a high note. A player finding a safe haven in a supportive team, or simply having a chat with the supportive people at TFS may also be a player who’s bottling up emotions instead of making them known to his coaches, fellow teammates or even family- or somebody who is simply looking for a new challenge and a new adventure.