UK Sports Sector Shows Strong Payment Performance in 2025, But Inconsistencies Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 12
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 74.7/100
• UK average PaymentCheck Score: 50.0/100
• Sports sector average above UK average: 24.7 points
• Highest score: 91.5/100 (FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED)
• Lowest score: 59.5/100 (BOUYGUES E&S CONTRACTING UK LIMITED)

What Stands Out

While the UK sports sector's average PaymentCheck score significantly surpasses the national average, the disparity between the best and worst payers indicates operational inefficiencies or differing priorities across organizations. Considering the relatively small sample size of 12 companies, one or two particularly low scores can skew the perception of the entire sector.

Best Payers

1. FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED - 91.5/100
2. STOKE CITY FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED - 91.3/100
3. CHELSEA FC HOLDINGS LIMITED - 88.9/100
4. FOOTBALL LEAGUE LIMITED(THE) - 80.1/100
5. CPFC LIMITED - 77.7/100

Worst Payers

1. BOUYGUES E&S CONTRACTING UK LIMITED - 59.5/100
2. THE GOODWOOD CLUB LIMITED - 60.1/100
3. THE ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED - 65.7/100
4. EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB COMPANY, LIMITED - 67.1/100
5. MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED - 69.1/100

Regional Patterns

The West Midlands, with an average of 91.3 based on one company (Stoke City FC), tops the regional rankings, while Scotland (represented by BOUYGUES E&S CONTRACTING UK LIMITED) sits at the bottom with 59.5. London's average, calculated from five companies, is a respectable 80.0, suggesting a consistent approach to payments among the capital's sports organizations. Given that only one company represents Scotland, South East and West Midlands, we can't assume that these regions are particularly strong or weak at payment.

If you're facing late payments from sports sector businesses, remember you can calculate potential interest and compensation using this late payment calculator.

Takeaway: The 32-point gap between the highest (91.5) and lowest (59.5) PaymentCheck scores highlights a significant inconsistency in payment practices across the UK sports sector, despite a generally positive average performance.

2025: The Story

The 2025 sports payment data reveals a challenging year for the sector, with the average score declining by 2.3 points to 74.7/100. Despite this overall dip, CHELSEA FC HOLDINGS LIMITED bucked the trend, demonstrating a notable improvement of 5.3 points, reaching a strong 88.9/100 this year. The dataset also saw significant new entries, including two entities from the same club: EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN LIMITED, scoring 69.4/100, and EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB COMPANY, LIMITED, with 67.1/100. Both new Everton entities landed below the new sector average, alongside BOUYGUES E&S CONTRACTING UK LIMITED which entered significantly lower at 59.5/100. With four companies also leaving the dataset, the change in participating entities suggests a dynamic, albeit declining, landscape. Suppliers should carefully assess the payment performance of individual club entities, particularly those newly reporting, as performance within clubs can vary.