On the edge of Smiths Field in Timperley, a small football club has been quietly changing lives for nearly half a century. Unicorn Athletic might not be a household name, but for the hundreds of kids who’ve pulled on its kit, made friends for life and learned what it means to be part of a team – it’s meant everything.
For almost 50 years, Unicorn Athletic has been more than just a football club. It’s been a place where young people in Timperley have come to grow – not just as players, but as teammates, leaders and confident individuals.
Since it kicked off in 1977, the club has supported thousands of local kids on and off the pitch. From its Saturday Club for five-year-olds to full teams across age groups, the focus has always been the same: fun, respect, and belonging.
Run entirely by volunteers, Unicorn holds a two-star FA accreditation. All its coaches are qualified, first-aid trained, and DBS checked. But what makes the club truly special is the passion of the people behind it.
One of those volunteers is Dan Seeds, who first came to the club as a parent in 2020.
“I took my son, Owen – then aged 5 – to Unicorn’s Saturday Club, hoping he’d fall in love with football the way I did,” said Dan. “But more importantly, I wanted him to have fun, stay active and make friends. He did all of that, and I quickly realised why – it was the coaching. I still feel lucky I chose Unicorn for my boy.”
Dan quickly found himself inspired by the club’s community spirit and stepped up to become a coach.
“When the kids turned six, they were grouped into teams, and the club asked if any parents wanted to volunteer. I stepped forward, along with a few other dads – and that moment started something amazing. We didn’t just get to coach our own kids, we got the chance to be part of their journey – and help others too.”
Years later, Dan’s still just as committed and takes coaching very seriously.
“Coaching a mixed-ability team has its challenges, but we focus on making sure everyone gets equal time and support. That’s how you build respect between the kids. It’s not always easy. They’re still learning how to deal with their emotions and growing up. But as a coach, you’ve got to think carefully and respond in a way that helps.”
Dan also brings life experience into coaching, drawing on values from his railway career. “I’ve always lived by something a colleague once told me: ‘Manage people how you’d want to be managed.’ That’s what I do now – with respect, discipline and fun. Coaching has given me new skills too: patience, understanding, and knowing how to read a situation before reacting.”
It’s that positive environment – shaped by volunteers like Dan – that makes Unicorn Athletic a place kids want to be part of.
And their sense of giving back doesn’t stop locally. When players recently outgrew their kits, they donated them to children in Senegal, with help from one of the team’s parents. A small act with a big impact, sharing the spirit of Unicorn across continents.
That same spirit is what drives the club’s next big goal.
As Unicorn Athletic approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, plans have been submitted to Trafford Council for a major refurbishment of the clubhouse on Sylvan Avenue, Smiths Field – the club’s home since the 1970s.
The existing building has no heating, hot water or proper electrics, and the layout is no longer fit for purpose. “The layout is impractical and the space available is not conducive to the needs of a contemporary, forward-thinking, grassroots football club,” the club’s design statement explains.
The revamp will include a more welcoming café space, modern toilets with changing cubicles, sun tunnels to bring in natural light, and a flexible community room for events, meetings, holiday clubs and coach development sessions. The club also plans to make the space available to local businesses and community groups – turning it into a true hub for the area.
“By expanding their existing café offering and providing an internal multi-functional space, they will be able to offer parents and children a place to meet and socialise before and after football,” the statement adds.
The building’s footprint will stay the same, but internal upgrades and insulation will make it safer, warmer and more energy efficient.
Unicorn Athletic is also supported by I Love Manchester, through the I Love MCR Giving Back initiative, which helps raise both funds and awareness for projects that give back to the city and create real opportunities for local people.
For Unicorn, the clubhouse revamp isn’t just about fixing up a building. It’s about creating a space that reflects what the club already is – a welcoming, inspiring place for young people to learn, grow and feel part of something.
And after five decades of grassroots impact, Unicorn are showing no signs of slowing down. The next chapter is just getting started.
