‘I wanted to protect my son’ – Inside No1Fan.club’s mission to help football families | OneFootball

Fewer than 0.1% of the 1.5 million boys playing youth football in England will make it to the Premier League. Of those joining academies at under-8 level, just 0.5% go on to make a living in the game.

Marcia Lewis knows that journey first-hand. As the mother of Arsenal and England’s emerging talent Myles Lewis-Skelly, she has lived every step of the path. Now she is on a mission to help others navigate it. Through No1Fan.club, the platform she founded, Marcia is offering parents the advice and tools she wishes she had when Myles first showed serious potential.

It did not start as a career move. With a successful background in finance, working at UBS, Goldman Sachs, and the UK Home Office, Marcia never planned on becoming a football parenting guru. But when Myles was just 11 and agents started calling, she found herself navigating a world that was complex, overwhelming, and poorly signposted for families.

By the time he was 12, boot deal offers surfaced.  At 14, Myles was offered an early academy scholarship. “At various points, I felt unprepared to make decisions that could impact his future,” she says. “There was no trusted advice, no network, and no family connections in football.” In response, Marcia took matters into her own hands by earning an MSc in Football Business and even a FIFA agent license, not to represent players, but to better understand the landscape and protect her son.

That experience laid the groundwork for No1Fan.club, a platform built to support parents of young footballers from grassroots to elite academies. Today, it’s a key part of the Premier League’s Life Skills programme, and its reach is growing fast.

Keen to find out more about their secret sauce, Hayters.com attended one of the platform’s biggest events to date, hosted at Merky FC in South London, the community-driven project backed by adidas and Stormzy. The sold-out conference welcomed nearly 150 parents from across the country for a day of insight, support, and shared experience.

Hayters TV’s Nick Callow with Ian Wright and Myles Lewis-Skelly (Hepta Otis @heptaviews)

“This is exactly what I envisaged,” Marcia said, addressing a packed room. “There is so much more we can achieve. One day, I’d love for these events to be free for everyone.”

Carefully curated panels throughout the day touched on everything from safeguarding and contracts to managing social media and family wellbeing. The aim was simple: help parents be the best supporters possible for their children, whether they ‘make it’ in football or not.

Les Rowe, father of Fulham and ex-Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, shared how he worked to shield his son from pressure and keep his childhood fun focused. Other speakers tackled hot topics such as the balance between sports and hobbies. One parent asked if their son could realistically learn a multitude of musical instruments and still succeed in football.

Marcia, joined by her sister on the day, was quick to remind everyone about family values and not to put young players on pedestals. Myles, she said, still has to do his share of household chores. “Support starts at home,” she added.

The No1Fan Club event (Hepta Otis @heptaviews)

Asked why she ultimately became Myles’ agent, she explained it was never the plan. “I needed time to understand how that side of football worked,” she said. “I wanted to protect my son. That led to me qualifying and eventually representing him, but it’s a team effort with trusted professionals around us.”

Recurring themes included mental health, education and the dangers of early social media exposure. Parents were strongly encouraged to delay social media use and teach their children to block out online noise when they do engage.

The event featured an expert list of speakers, including:

Kate Iorpenda – Parenting lead and mother of two young pros

Chris Platts – Researcher in player career transitions

Beth Kerr – Family wellbeing advisor

Stephanie Ijoma – Gaming and focus expert

Eve Emaru – Sports physiotherapist specialising in youth development

The No1Fan Club team (Hepta Otis @heptaviews)

The day was highly informative and high-energy throughout, but the biggest cheers were reserved for two surprise guests late on. Myles Lewis-Skelly himself met with warm applause as he thanked attendees and gave credit to his mum and her team. He was joined on stage by former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright.

“I’m so glad to be here,” Wright said, spotting old schoolmate Les Rowe in the crowd. “What Marcia and No1Fan are doing is invaluable for parents and for young players.”

With elite youth football offering no guarantees, the work of No1Fan.club is becoming increasingly vital. For every academy graduate that steps onto a Premier League pitch, thousands more will walk away with shattered dreams. Marcia Lewis wants to make sure their families walk away with more than just questions.