The INSIDER PODCAST: Season 16 – Episode 11 – Liam McStravick

From Grassroots Frustration to SaaS Innovation: Scaling Clubs & Community

With Liam McStravick

How do you turn a personal pain‑point into a platform that transforms an entire sector? In this episode of ScaleX™ Insider, entrepreneur and football coach Liam McStravick sits down with Brendan McGurgan to share how his own experience collecting player fees at a local academy inspired TeamFeePay, the club‑management platform now powering community football across the UK and Ireland. Liam explains why solving real problems for volunteers and administrators unlocks exponential value for clubs, how collaboration and culture drive growth, and what it takes to scale a purpose‑driven business while staying grounded in service.
Liam McStravick

Liam McStravick

Liam McStravick is the co‑founder and CEO of TeamFeePay, a software platform that helps grassroots football clubs manage payments, registrations and fundraising. A UEFA A‑licenced coach, he realised he was spending coaching sessions collecting fees rather than developing players and set out to fix the problem; TeamFeePay now supports more than 1 500 clubs and 250 000 users across the UK and Ireland. A serial entrepreneur for over two decades, McStravick previously founded and exited ClubSport NI, Northern Ireland’s largest teamwear company, and Copius Consulting, a leading sports development firm. He also built and sold B4B Telecoms, Sector 3 Solutions and The Football Management Company, giving him 25 years’ experience in business development and scaling ventures. Under his leadership, TeamFeePay’s culture of football‑centric, values‑aligned staff has been a key differentiator, and his work with clubs has helped secure over £500 million in funding for pitches and stadia. McStravick also serves as Head of Player Recruitment at NIFL Championship club Ballyclare Comrades

In our conversation, Liam traces his entrepreneurial journey from selling stationery at school to launching multiple companies and ultimately co‑founding TeamFeePay. He explains how identifying friction in grassroots football – volunteers swamped by administration – led to a scalable SaaS solution that frees coaches and club officials to focus on player development. Liam shares lessons from his earlier businesses and reveals why TeamFeePay’s culture and values are intentionally different from anything he’s built before. He and Brendan discuss the ScaleX™ Principle 9: Partnership & Collaboration, exploring how the platform brings together clubs, associations and technology partners to expand reach and impact. They also unpack Liam’s experience on the ScaleX Accelerator Programme, highlighting the mindset shifts, frameworks and peer support that have fuelled his growth as a leader. Finally, Liam looks ahead to the next chapter for TeamFeePay and offers timeless takeaways for founders seeking to scale with purpose.

Connect with Liam McStravick

Website: teamfeepay.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/liam-mcstravick

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