Football Match Photos Gone Missing
A guide for football coaches, club managers, and parents who want all the season's photos in one place.
Football match photos scatter across dozens of phones every weekend and nobody brings them together. All it takes is one QR code at the pitch — and every photo from the game ends up in one place, in full quality, no app required.
Saturday Afternoon at the Local Pitch
It's Saturday, two in the afternoon. Twenty parents line the pitch, half of them holding a phone. The youth football team is playing a local derby against the neighbouring village. The atmosphere feels like a Champions League final — at least for those who are there.
One dad is standing behind the goal, snapping every corner kick. Another mum has a whole series of her son scoring — even though it was technically an own goal by the opposition, but who cares. Grandad is filming the second half on his tablet from the sideline.
Ninety minutes later, the final whistle blows. Everyone heads home. And with them go all the match day photos.
"Post Them in the Group"
On Monday, the football coach drops a message in the WhatsApp group: "Hey everyone, who's got photos from Saturday? We need something for the website."
The replies:
Monday: 👍👍👍 (three thumbs up, zero photos)
Tuesday: One dad sends three photos. In a quality that looks like a screenshot of a screenshot.
Wednesday: "I'll send them tonight." (never does)
Friday: The coach gives up and posts a changing room selfie on the website.
A month later, the football club wants to put together a yearbook. Where are the photos from the season? In fifty phones. In eight WhatsApp groups. In one Google Drive folder that only the former chairman has access to — and he left the club two years ago. The classic problem of chasing photos that everyone knows too well.
Grassroots Football Doesn't Have a Photographer. It Has Something Better.
The Premier League has accredited photographers. Your club has parents and fans who take just as many photos — only nobody collects them.
And yet, it takes so little.
Imagine a printed sheet with a QR code hanging at the entrance to the pitch — or on the fence behind the goal, on the bench, anywhere really. A simple sign: "Got football photos? Upload them here."
A parent walks up, scans, and starts uploading. No app. No registration. Just a browser and a photo gallery.
And everyone else can see the photos straight away. In full quality. No compression, no forwarding chains.
How It Works in Practice
Before the match (2 minutes):
- The team manager creates an event on Partoska.
- Prints the QR code — one sheet of A4 is enough.
- Sticks it somewhere visible.
During the match:
- Parents, fans, anyone — scan and upload.
- The gallery fills up in real time.
- Even grandad, who's never used anything beyond WhatsApp, can scan a QR code.
After the match:
- The coach opens the gallery — everything in one place.
- Downloads a ZIP for the website, Facebook, the club yearbook.
- Sends the link to parents — they download what they want.
The Whole Season, Not Just One Match
If you want, you can use a single QR code for the entire season. Pin it to the fence in September, and by June you'll have a gallery with hundreds of photos from every home match.
No more "who's got photos from the game against Oakfield?" Everything is in one place, in chronological order.
And when it's time to put together a yearbook, a Facebook post, or a recruitment poster for new players — you've got plenty to choose from.
Away Days? Sorted Too.
The supporters' group takes a coach to the away derby in the next town. Forty people means forty phones and two hundred photos by the end of the afternoon.
On the bus ride home, drop the gallery link into the group chat. Whoever wants to, uploads their photos on the way back. By morning, the person running the Facebook page has a complete photo report without begging anyone.
It works for football tournaments, pre-season friendlies, training camps — basically anywhere people take photos and you want those photos in one place.
Where to Put the QR Code at the Ground?
The more spots, the more photos. What works best:
The fence behind the goal — that's where most parents stand. They've got time and a phone in hand.
The bench / dugout — substitutes can contribute too.
The refreshment stand — people are waiting around, looking about. They'll notice.
The entrance — first point of contact. "Oh, I can upload my photos here."
The changing room — for those behind-the-scenes moments before and after the match.
Bonus: Print the QR code on the back of your matchday programme (if you have one). People take it home.
What If Someone Uploads Something Inappropriate?
Partoska gives you control:
- You can moderate photos before they're visible to others.
- You can lock the gallery to club members only.
- You can delete anything that doesn't belong.
Your club, your rules. No worries.
A Small Contest = Big Motivation
Want people to actually take photos? Give them a reason.
"Best photo of the month wins a club scarf!" or "Photo of the match gets a free drink at the bar."
Mention it on the PA system or drop it in the group chat every now and then. Suddenly everyone's snapping — and the gallery fills itself.
How Much Does It Cost?
The basic plan is free. For a small football club playing in the local league, that's plenty to get started. If you need more storage or a longer retention period, add-on packages are available. No subscriptions, no commitments.
Full pricing details here.
Next Football Match Is in a Week
Setting up an event takes two minutes. Print the QR code, pin it to the fence, done.
And on Saturday evening? Instead of begging people in the WhatsApp group, you open a gallery full of football photos from everyone who was there.
All the photos. One place. Full quality.
This article is part of a series about how Partoska helps sports clubs and event organisers. Also organising a gala or social event? Read how to get all your gala photos in one place. More tips on our blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do parents or fans need to download an app?
No. Partoska is web-based — just scan the QR code and it opens in the browser. Works on any phone.
Can I use one QR code for the whole season?
Yes. Create one event and the QR code stays the same. All photos from the entire season are collected in one place.
What if there's no WiFi at the ground?
Uploading works over mobile data. A normal signal is enough. Photos will upload even if the connection isn't the fastest — it just takes a moment longer.
How long do the photos stay available?
The gallery stays active until you delete it or the package expires. Partoska isn't designed for permanent storage — but exporting is easy. More on our features page.
Can we use the photos on Facebook and the club website?
Absolutely. Download them in full quality and use them anywhere. They're yours.
We only have a few tech-savvy people at the club.
If they can scan a QR code (and even grandad behind the goal can do that), they'll manage. No setup, no sign-up required.