Marketplace investor backs sports tech platform

A Belfast-based sports technology company has secured fresh backing from one of Northern Ireland’s leading digital entrepreneurs.

Cecil Hetherington, known for his success with Used Cars NI and PropertyPal, has increased his investment in sports tech platform Pitchbooking, becoming its largest individual shareholder outside of the founding team. 

Founded in 2018 by Shea O’Hagan, Fearghal Campbell and Chris McCann, Pitchbooking has transformed how sports facilities are managed and accessed. 

Its platform has processed more than £25 million in bookings over the past year, supporting organisations such as the Irish Football Association, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United Foundations.

Now serving clubs and venues across multiple sports, Pitchbooking’s software integrates everything from pitch bookings and memberships to smart locks and automated floodlighting. 

The latest investment will enable the company to accelerate product development and cement its position as a global leader in sports facility management, as it looks to expand across the UK and Ireland.

Shea said: “Cecil understands two-sided marketplaces better than anyone in the UK and Ireland. 

“His success with Used Cars NI and PropertyPal shows a rare instinct for building and scaling high-performing platforms that connect supply and demand at scale. 

“He’s built category leaders before, and we’re proud to have him deepen his involvement in Pitchbooking. 

“His backing is a strong signal of confidence in our long-term vision to make Pitchbooking the go-to platform for sports facilities.”

Cecil added: “Pitchbooking has all the ingredients of a global category leader – a scalable model, proven traction, and a market that’s only beginning to digitise. 

“With tens of thousands of facilities across the UK alone and millions globally, the scale of opportunity is enormous. 

“The company is well placed to define how sports facilities operate in the years ahead.”

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