What happens when a successful businessman buys his hometown football club and sets out to rebuild it from the inside?

In the latest episode of the Don’t Forget Your Tickets podcast, co-host Clare Kenny speaks with Spencer Gore, owner, chairman and group CEO of Chelmsford City Football Club, about leadership, ambition and the reality of taking on a club that had become “unloved” from an ownership perspective.

For Spencer, Chelmsford City is personal. It is his local club, rooted in the community he knows well. After building a successful medical publishing business, he brought that commercial experience into football ownership, taking on inherited debt, including money owed to the council, and starting the long process of creating a stronger future.

The results so far are striking. Chelmsford City’s average attendances grew from around 800 to 1,800 last season — more than 100 per cent growth — while the club has kept ticketing affordable and focused on making matchdays more welcoming, accessible and family-friendly.

But this episode is not just about a rise in numbers. Spencer also talks about the pressure of ownership, the importance of reconnecting with supporters, and the bold long-term ambition to take Chelmsford City towards the Premier League by the club’s centenary year in 2038.

For StandOut readers, the wider takeaway is clear: whether in sport, events or live entertainment, sustainable audience growth depends on trust, value and a live experience people genuinely want to return to.

Listen to Spencer Gore on Don’t Forget Your Tickets to hear the full story behind Chelmsford City FC’s rebuild, and subscribe for more conversations on sport, ticketing, technology and the future of the fan experience.

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