Football Community App Connecting Fans and Local Pubs
How SolGuruz Built a Football Community App for Fans and Pubs
SolGuruz designed, built, and launched MI Football Social - a football community app that connects fans with local pubs screening live matches. Whether you are looking for an app to find people to watch football with or a platform to grow pub footfall on matchdays, MI Football Social delivers a full ecosystem: RSVP, check-in, supporter groups, live match hub, and real-time chat all in one cross-platform product.
MI Football Social: Live on iOS & Android
Download the app or visit the website - pub discovery, RSVP, supporter groups, live match hub, and real-time chat all in one place.
iOS & Android · Michigan, USA · Fan & Pub Accounts · Free to Join
Project Overview
How SolGuruz Built a Football Community App That Connects Fans With Local Pubs and Changed the Matchday Experience
Football community app development requires more than clean code; it demands a deep understanding of how real fans experience matchday. Paul Chatfield, an entrepreneur and football enthusiast based in Lansing, Michigan, USA, approached SolGuruz with a clear vision: to build a platform that solves a problem every soccer fan knows: finding where the match is on, who's watching, and connecting with fellow supporters in the same pub.
In just 5-6 months, SolGuruz delivered MI Football Social, a full-stack football fan app for iOS, Android, and Web. The platform connects fans and pub owners through live match discovery, RSVP features, a geo-based pub finder, supporter groups, and real-time chat. From concept to App Store launch, SolGuruz handled every stage of the journey end-to-end.
Sports - Football Community
iOS, Android, Web, Backend
5-6 Months
Lansing, Michigan, USA
Football bar and pub culture is thriving across the United States - but the technology to support it was nowhere close to keeping up. Soccer fans had no reliable way to find which local venues were screening their specific match, and no platform to connect with fellow supporters heading to the same pub.
- → Fans were left calling pubs one by one or arriving and hoping the right match was on.
- → Pub owners had no direct channel to reach the supporters who would fill seats on matchdays - relying entirely on walk-ins and word of mouth.
- → Existing pub-finding apps solved venue discovery but ignored the social layer entirely - no RSVP, no supporter groups, no community.
The goal was to build a single platform serving two distinct audiences: football fans seeking community and pub owners seeking footfall - with one unified experience that neither existing apps nor social media groups could deliver.
SolGuruz was tasked with delivering MI Football Social across iOS, Android, and Web - connecting both user groups through five key shared touchpoints: pub discovery, RSVP, check-in, supporter groups, and real-time chat. The platform had to feel consumer-grade for fans and professionally powerful for pub operators, without compromising either experience.
MI Football Social Live: The Football Fan and Pub App
From concept to deployment, the SolGuruz team designed and built a smooth, user-centric solution that connects fans, pubs, and local communities through the love of football.
MI Football Social is not just another event app - it is a full-fledged ecosystem with role-based experiences for fans and pub owners. Fans explore nearby pubs, RSVP to live matches, and join supporter groups. Pub owners schedule screenings, promote matchday offers, and engage directly with attendees in real time.
The Role of the SolGuruz Team
We played a key role in turning our client's vision of a community-driven football platform into reality. From concept to launch, our team at SolGuruz managed everything, from designing intuitive user experiences to developing robust backend systems, ensuring fans and pubs could connect effortlessly for every matchday moment.
UI/UX Design
We wanted the app to feel like a celebration of football - bold, dynamic, and social.
Our design team focused on intuitive navigation and vibrant visuals that reflect the excitement of matchdays. Fans experience smooth onboarding, interactive match discovery, and real-time engagement tools, while pub owners get a clean dashboard to manage screenings and offers.
Key UI/UX Highlights:
- Dual Role Onboarding: Fans and Pubs get personalized journeys.
- Dynamic Match Feeds: Live data integration with API-Football.
- Geo-based Pub Discovery: Interactive map shows football-friendly pubs near you.
- Chat Interface: Connect with fans and supporter groups instantly.
Development & Launch
Building MI Football Social meant combining real-time data, location services, and role-based logic into one unified app. Our development team created a robust backend powered by AWS and integrated API-Football for live match syncing. We also built the Pub Admin Dashboard for managing schedules, offers, and user interactions.
Key Backend Milestones:
- Daily Cron Jobs for match syncs and league updates.
- Role-based login system for fans and pubs.
- Push notifications for RSVPs, offers, and friend activity.
- Pub verification and onboarding via admin panel.
Launch & Go-to-Market
Most development agencies hand over the keys at deployment and walk away. SolGuruz stayed alongside the client through the full go-to-market rollout, helping put MI Football Social in front of the right audience from Day 1. The team supported App Store submission, compliance preparation for both Google Play and Apple App Store, and the digital marketing strategy to drive early user acquisition for both fans and pub owners.
Key Launch Milestones:
- App Store and Google Play submission, compliance review, and approval
- Marketing website designed and launched by SolGuruz to drive app downloads
- SEO-oriented content strategy to attract organic football community app searches
- Digital marketing campaign targeting football fans and pub owners in the UK
Ongoing Post-Launch Support & Iteration
MI Football Social did not stop evolving after launch. SolGuruz continued as an active development partner, shipping updates covering performance improvements, UI refinements, bug fixes, and new features based on real user feedback. Post-launch iterations include improved location accuracy for pub discovery, enhanced check-in flow, muted chat notifications, and smoother match card navigation.
Key Challenges & How SolGuruz Solved Them
Building a football community app that serves two completely different user groups, fans and pub owners, required SolGuruz to solve five product and technical challenges that no existing matchday app had addressed together.
Fans had no way to find which local pubs were showing their specific match or team
Built a geo-based pub discovery system with live match filtering, integrated with API-Football for real-time fixture data
Pub owners had no direct channel to reach and engage local football fans before or during a game
Developed a Pub Admin Dashboard with scheduling tools, promotional offers, and push notification capabilities
Football watching had become isolated fans wanted an app to find people to watch football with
Built supporter groups, an RSVP system, a check-in feature, and 1:1 and group chat, all connected to live match data
Dual-role apps are hard to design fan and pub owner experiences must feel completely different
Created role-based onboarding and separate UX journeys for fans and pub owners within one unified app
Live match data must sync automatically across all pubs and fans in real time
Built daily cron jobs for match syncs, league updates, and API-Football integration with Firebase push notifications
Ensuring high performance and scalability during peak match times when thousands of users access the app simultaneously
Implemented a scalable cloud architecture using Firebase, optimized database queries, caching strategies, and real-time load handling
Real-time data. Geo-based discovery. Community features. Shipped and live on iOS, Android, and Web. Your product is next.
Key Outcomes & Results
MI Football Social was successfully launched on Google Play and Apple App Store following a 5-6 month development engagement managed entirely by SolGuruz. The following outcomes were recorded post-launch:
SolGuruz built MI Football Social from brief to App Store in 5-6 months. Your community could have the same. Let us scope your project today.
SolGuruz Football App Development Process
From initial scoping to post-launch iteration, here is how SolGuruz builds football community apps that go live, stay live, and grow.
Discovery & Project Scoping
SolGuruz begins every football app project by understanding the client's immediate requirements and long-term product vision, delivering a clear scope, timeline, and cost estimate before a single line of code is written.
Requirement Analysis & Documentation
The BA team delivered separate user flow documents for fans and pub owners, identifying 5 distinct touchpoints where the two user types interact: RSVP, check-in, pub page, supporter groups, and chat.
UI/UX Design
The design team defines the full user experience, wireframes, design system, and interactive prototypes, building an interface that balances the needs of two completely different user types within one cohesive football app design.
Development and Testing
SolGuruz follows the agile development process to build a thoughtful and reliable app, followed by rigorous QA testing across Android and iOS devices, covering acceptance testing, compatibility testing, regression testing, and functional testing.
Deployment
The final product is deployed to production, servers configured, data infrastructure set up, and the app submitted for Apple App Store and Google Play Store review, ready for real users from day one.
Launch & Go-to-Market
Deployment is not the finish line at SolGuruz. For MI Football Social, the team handled App Store compliance, built the marketing website, created SEO-oriented content, and ran the digital campaign that put the app in front of football fans and pub owners.
Ongoing Support & Iteration
Post-launch, SolGuruz remains an active development partner, delivering updates, performance improvements, and new features as the football community grows and user feedback shapes the product roadmap.
Competitive Analysis
Here is a high-level snapshot of the market research and competitor analysis SolGuruz conducted during the project discovery phase. Every competitor connects fans to pubs or sports bars, but none combine live match discovery, RSVP, supporter groups, pub admin tools, and real-time community chat in one platform.
Unique Value Proposition
Team-Based Pub Filtering:
Filter and find pubs catering to specific Premier League teams. This team-centric approach creates a strong sense of community and fan loyalty across 700+ venues.
Company Advantage
Community Appeal:
Offers a sense of belonging by connecting fans with pubs frequented by other supporters of the same team.
Company Disadvantage
US-Focused Coverage & No Community:
US-focused with ZIP code search and limited UK coverage. No RSVP, check-in, or community features available.
Unique Value Proposition
Web-Based Match Bar Directory:
Searchable web directory for finding bars broadcasting live Premier League matches by city and league. Practical for pre-match planning.
Company Advantage
Localized Relevance:
Tailored to fans looking for nearby bars, making it highly practical for match-day planning.
Company Disadvantage
Website Only & No Community:
Website only with no mobile app, no community features, no RSVP, and no live data sync. Discovery only, no social layer.
Unique Value Proposition
Multi-Sport Pub Finder:
Fanzo (MatchPint) caters to fans of multiple sports including football, rugby, and boxing. Used by 6 million fans globally with detailed venue profiles.
Company Advantage
Detailed Venue Profiles:
Provides comprehensive venue information, including opening hours, facilities, and match schedules, making it a one-stop solution.
Company Disadvantage
No Fan Community Features:
No supporter communities, no group participation, and no social layer. No RSVP or check-in features for fans.
Unique Value Proposition
Pub Rewards & Sport Discovery:
MIXR.co offers rewards and sport discovery with 1 million+ downloads since 2023. Season Pass unlocks matchday deals and exclusive offers across 600+ UK venues.
Company Advantage
Integrated Marketing for Venues:
Partner venues benefit from promotional opportunities, driving mutual value for users and establishments.
Company Disadvantage
No Community Features:
No fan reviews, no group interactions, and no supporter connections. Community and social elements are entirely absent.
App Workflow: How MI Football Social Works
SolGuruz built MI Football Social around a simple 6-step digital workflow that replaces searching, calling, and texting with a single football community app
01
Find Your Pub
Discover local pubs and bars screening live matches, filtered by your team, match, or location. Geo-based discovery shows the nearest venues in real time.
02
RSVP & Check-In
RSVP to your chosen pub, see who else is attending, and check in when you arrive. Connect with friends and fellow fans who are watching the same game.
03
Live Match Hub
Stay updated with live match schedules, scores, and which pubs are screening each game. Syncs in real time with API-Football, so matchday plans are always accurate.
04
Join Supporter Groups
Join or create supporter groups for your club. Stay updated with events, scores, and discussions, making every game a shared experience even when you are not at the same pub.
05
Exclusive Offers
Unlock special matchday deals and promotions from participating pubs. Verified Partnered Pubs display a badge so fans know which venues are official screening partners.
06
Chat - 1:1 and Groups
Chat one-on-one or join group discussions. Connect before, during, and after the match. Share opinions, predictions, and celebrate together.
Apoorva Ranade
Business Analyst, SolGuruz
The hardest part wasn't the tech; it was designing for two very different users in one product. Fans want to quickly find nearby match screenings, while pub owners need to manage listings, offers, and RSVPs. We focused on five key touchpoints where they intersect: RSVPs, check-ins, pub pages, supporter groups, and chat. Designing these first ensured a seamless experience for both sides.
Direct insight from the SolGuruz team that built MI Football Social
SolGuruz takes your feature list and turns it into a scoped, costed, ready-to-build product plan. No guesswork.
Design Style Guidelines
We used the following color palette and typography to design and develop the MI Football Social app.
Color Palette
#005B8F
#E9F1FF
#F5F7FA
Typography
Rubik
Reguler
Medium
Semi-Bold
Bold
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
Key Features - Your Complete Football Community App
Your complete guide to the beautiful game, in one app.
Find Your Spot
Discover nearby pubs screening live matches based on your team, match, or location. Quickly find the perfect venue without the guesswork.
Connect & Check-In
RSVP to matches with real-time attendance tracking, geo-validated check-in on arrival, live crowd count with automatic expiry logic, and friend check-in notifications, all tied to match status from API-Football.
Live Match Hub
Stay updated with live match schedules, scores, and which pubs are screening each game. Never miss a kickoff.
Exclusive Offers
Pub owners create, schedule, edit, and delete promotional offers directly from their dashboard. Offers are displayed to fans on the pub detail page and home screen, tied to specific matches or general matchday periods.
The Matchday Crew
120 MembersNext Meetup - 25 Dec 2024
Supporter Groups
Join or create supporter groups based on clubs and location, with public/private group options, admin moderation tools, member approval workflows, configurable group size thresholds, and official club recognition status when membership milestones are reached.
1:1 Chat & Group Chats
Real-time messaging between fans, group chats within supporter communities, pub owner direct engagement, and secure group invite messages with 14-day expiry. Contextual notifications ensure fans stay connected without spam.
Live Crowd Count
Real-time pub occupancy tracking shows how crowded a pub is before fans arrive, using live check-ins, match status, and auto-expiry. It handles edge cases like mid-match entries, extra time, API failures, and pub switching keeping counts accurate and never outdated.
Partnered Pub Badge
Pubs undergo an admin-verified onboarding process including legal documentation, pub details, amenity listings, and supporting club declarations. Verified pubs receive the Partnered Pub Badge and gain enhanced visibility in search results and map views.
Admin Dashboard Features
Powerful admin dashboard for the football fans community app to manage pubs, users, and content seamlessly.
Reporting & Analytics
Track performance, user engagement, and event success with real-time dashboards.
Community Management
Manage pubs, events, and user interactions to foster a vibrant football fan community. Monitor community health and moderate content in real time.
Reports & Analytics
Gain insights into user engagement, pub performance, and event success with detailed reports. Real-time dashboards cover active check-in counts and live match system health.
Match Management
Schedule and manage live match screenings ensuring fans never miss a game. Automated daily cron jobs sync fixtures and league updates via API-Football.
Pub Management
Approve and oversee partnered pubs, ensuring quality and compliance with community standards. Manage pub onboarding including legal documentation and amenity verification.
User Management
Manage user accounts, roles, and permissions to maintain a safe and engaging community environment. Handle both fan and pub owner account types from a single dashboard.
Integrated Notifications Management
Send geo-targeted push notifications by state, city, or to specific users about upcoming matches, events, and special offers. Auto-deduplication ensures users never receive duplicate alerts.
Security Practices Implemented
MI Football Social implements industry-standard security practices across all layers - network, data, application, and cloud - to protect user data and ensure platform integrity.
Data Encryption
All data is encrypted in transit and at rest using full disk encryption and HTTPS (SSL/TLS), protecting user and pub information at every stage.
OAuth 2.0
OAuth 2.0 prevents malicious attacks by unauthorized users and ensures the system is accessed only by authenticated users with verified credentials.
AWS Firewall
Configured firewalls on AWS instances and databases to allow limited, controlled access - blocking unauthorized traffic while maintaining performance.
Source Code Obfuscation
Source code obfuscation makes the released app unreadable to prevent tampering or reverse engineering of the app's executable file.
Automated Backup & Rollback
Cloud instances are configured to take backups at regular intervals with automatic version rollback capability to protect against data loss or deployment issues.
Tech Stack We Used
The following technologies were used for designing and developing MI Football Social across iOS, Android, and Web.
Client Testimonial
Paul Chatfield, Founder of MI Football Social, shared this testimonial with us by email after the platform went live. The quote below is verbatim from that email.
Direct testimonial · Received via email
“SolGuruz turned my vision of a football community app into a fully functional, live platform that truly reflects what I had imagined. Their team was transparent, reliable, and consistently supportive throughout the entire development journey. From initial planning to final launch, they made the process smooth, collaborative, and easy to manage.”
Paul Chatfield
Founder, MI Football Social
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions our clients and prospects ask most. If yours is not here, our team is one click away.
Need advice tailored to your project?
FAQs cover the common ground. For decisions specific to your tech stack, timeline, and team, talk directly to a senior engineer who has shipped what you are planning.
SolGuruz built it for football fans in 6 months. Your community could have the same. Let us build your product next.
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