A football club is more than its first team.

The Catalytic Pyramid is alche.val's strategic framework for building sustainable football institutions by connecting professional football, youth development, grassroots participation, infrastructure, community, sponsors, public institutions and the regional economy.

Institutional ecosystem

The framework does not describe a hierarchy of control. It describes a system of relationships and capabilities that reinforce one another when designed well.

Professional footballPerformance and visibility

Youth developmentTalent, pathways and optionality

Grassroots footballParticipation and legitimacy

Community and supportersIdentity, demand and belonging

InfrastructureStadiums, training and asset utilization

Public and private partnersCapital, coordination and impact

A sustainable club is not one that simply finds enough money to fund the first team. It is one capable of creating a system in which sporting, social and economic activity reinforce one another.