I am an FA licensed football coach from Leicester currently volunteering at Eastwood Ladies CFC in Nottingham-shire. My role is to support the team by recording matches for subsequent analysis which is fulfilled by the first team manager and myself. Video footage improves performances and player development unlike any other tool. Those of us who follow football whether men or women know how powerful video is for analysis, enjoyment and discussion. For this newly formed team, footage is also the club's heritage.

The problem I have is that I use personal equipment which is not adequate and I am not in a position to invest in new equipment. If I could invest, i would have done it already such is my passion for this form of the game. At my last club, I used my 10 inch 2MP work tablet which eventually broke. The tablet was brilliant in that the large screen made recording very easy although video quality was not high. I am currently using my Sony 8MP smart phone camera which struggles to provide consistent quality footage and is actually difficult to use. Once matches are recorded, footage is re-encoded and uploaded to my personal cloud and from there other coaches and players can view matches online at their own convenience.

My style of recording is primarily setup for coaching purposes and varies from mainstream TV footage of football matches. I always look to ensure as many players are in the field of view as possible in relation to the ball so that team formation, shape, player positioning can be all be discerned. At particular instances in game, we can use still images or markup the video to highlight good or bad aspects of play, and identify patterns in playing style.

Ladies football in England is in a transitional state. The game is growing and remains the largest participant sport for females however numbers overall are still low and many teams struggle to recruit enough players for competitive squads. In my short time in coaching, I have witnessed two clubs folding days before their respective seasons started. One was Nuneaton Town Ladies who were in the FA WPL Northern Division. The other was the WSL 1 team of Notts County Ladies where I was a season ticket holder.

Eastwood Ladies CFC play in the fifth tier of the women's football pyramid. At this level players pay to play. Their monthly contribution finances the entire operation for the season. There is no extra money to support coaches who can take the players much further than their current level. The rules of the League we operate in, means we cannot also charge admission on match days for additional income. We have a great setup and are full of winners.

My history is that I fell out of love with the game. I have not liked mens' football for a long time as it has no virtue. I started following Ladies football about 12 years ago and my interest grew to a point in 2015 where I felt there was something I could coach that others were not and thus decided to participate. Ladies football is full of virtue and it is important to keep it that way. Being around the women as they train has compelled me to play again which I had not done in 16 years.

I only stared my journey as a coach 2 years ago and experiences I have had so far are wonderful culminating in a trip to the Netherlands to see the Womens' Euros final. As an England fan, I had hoped the Lionesses would be there however I will never forget the atmosphere as a result of the Dutch women getting to the final and winning. WOW.

After extensive research, the equipment I am looking to purchase will provide many years of use before any replacement is needed. A 4K camera gives high resolution footage, longevity in quality and allow live streaming in future. The LCD monitor is needed to better track motion as it is easy to lose direction with the viewfinder, and built in LCD monitor is too small. The need for memory cards is self explanatory and an external hard drive means I can store raw data away from my desktop which is already at its limit. The shopping list is therefore:

1. Camera - Sony AX33 4K Handycam and Carry Bag (£599)

2. LCD Monitor and Accessory Shoe (£475)

2. Memory Card - 32GB SDHC x 2 (£40)

4. External Hard Drive - 1 to 2 TB (£50-70)

5. Action cameras for behind the goal footage (Optional if budget allows).

If you are local to Eastwood and a fan of the club, please support me. If you love women's football then please support me. If neither of the above apply but you feel generous please support me as well. Your contribution will have effects that reach well beyond our current needs.

Many Thanks.