Real Talk, Real Impact: Highlights from Our Parent Conference

*Marcia Lewis opens The Parent Conference with a powerful message of community for football families navigating the game together*

On 5 July, over 140 parents and guardians and other guests came together at #Merky FC HQ for the first-ever Parent Conference by No1Fan.Club – a full-day event designed to give football families the guidance, clarity and confidence they’ve long asked for but rarely received.

It was a day filled with expert insight, honest conversation and powerful community connection. Most importantly, it was built around what parents actually need.

This is what we delivered, what we learned and where we go next.

A Programme Shaped by Parents

The day featured a carefully curated schedule of workshops, panels and conversations, all grounded in the lived experiences and real questions parents bring to the football journey.

Opening remarks from Karen McLaren and Marcia Lewis set the tone for a day of honest, practical support

A powerful Parent Panel, hosted by Kate Iorpenda, featured Alejandra Sarmiento, Leanne Batt and Marlon Bromfield sharing personal experiences from grassroots to academy life

The Industry Insights workshop offered a practical guide to navigating agents, registrations and the business side of football, led by Marcia Lewis and Nathan Chambers of Onside Law

The Digital Habits workshop, delivered by Beth Kerr and Stephanie Ijoma, explored how gaming, social media and tech shape young players’ performance and wellbeing

The Player Pathways session led by Dr Chris Platts and Tobi Sho-Silva looked at long-term outcomes and data from over 300 academy players, helping parents understand what to expect and how to prepare.

The Being a No1 Fan session, hosted by Kate Iorpenda and Eve Emaru, tackled wellbeing, injury, family balance and how to support your child through setbacks.

A heartfelt conversation On the Sofa with Marcia and Les, where Marcia Lewis and Les Rowe reflected on raising sons through elite football and the lessons learned along the way.

And a full day of community connection, with open Q&A sessions, a live graffiti wall, and informal networking over lunch and closing reflections

The programme was built around the real questions parents ask. Whether it was contracts, injuries, confidence dips or digital overwhelm, this was a space where no question was too obvious and no challenge was too personal.

Kate Iorpenda hosts a powerful panel with Alejandra, Leanne and Marlon

“I left with a better understanding of the system and how to protect my child through it. The support in the room was real.”
Shahyan A

Parent Voices at the Centre

From the main stage to small group sessions, the event put parent voices at the heart of the conversation. That included lived experience speakers like Marlon, who shared his family’s journey through grassroots and academy football, and now supports others through our Parent Mentor programme.

It also included space for parents to contribute anonymously via our graffiti wall, where recurring themes included anxiety around decision-making, navigating club relationships and the emotional weight of supporting a child’s dream.

“So informative and empowering. I have learnt so much that I wish I knew a few years ago.”
Elaine L

Made Possible by Partnership

This event would not have been possible without the support of our partners:

#Merky FC, for generously hosting us at their HQ
EA SPORTS FC, whose backing helped make the event more accessible
Onside Law, who contributed both expertise and energy to the Industry Insights session

The strength of our community lies in these partnerships: practical, purpose-led and centred on families

“Every workshop was powerful. Hearing from other parents gave me perspective and reminded me that I am not alone.”
Olma E

What’s Next

The Parent Conference was a beginning, not an endpoint. We are now expanding our events and workshops across the UK, developing digital content from the day and continuing to grow our support network through mentors, forums and content series.

Coming soon:

Video content from the event
Online access to Industry Insights
More ways for parents to connect with us and each other

“This gave me reassurance and practical tools, especially on wellbeing and contracts. Please do more of these.”
Patris Gordon

This day reminded us of what happens when parents are given space to speak, listen and learn without judgement or pressure. It proved what we’ve always known: football families are not short on questions or commitment. They’ve just been short on support.

We’re here to change that.