Legal
Cookie Policy
What cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can control your preferences.
Last updated: April 10, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how The Football Cafe ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website at thefootball.cafe (the "Site").
This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides further information about how we process personal data.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners useful information about how their site is being used.
Cookies can be "first-party" (set by the website you are visiting) or "third-party" (set by a service used by the website, such as an analytics or advertising provider).
2. How We Use Cookies
The Football Cafe uses cookies for three main purposes:
Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the site to function properly. They remember your consent preferences and site settings like your chosen theme (light or dark mode). The site cannot function correctly without these cookies.
Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager) to understand how visitors interact with our site — which pages are popular, how long visits last, and where visitors come from. This helps us improve the site. Analytics cookies are only activated if you consent to them.
Advertising Cookies: We use Google AdSense to display advertisements that help fund the site. Advertising cookies may be used to serve personalized ads based on your browsing history, or non-personalized ads based on page content. Advertising cookies are only activated if you consent to them.
3. Cookies We Use
Below is a detailed list of cookies used on The Football Cafe:
Essential Cookies
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| consent_preferences | Stores your cookie consent choices | 1 year | First-party |
| theme | Remembers your light/dark mode preference | 1 year | First-party |
Analytics Cookies
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics — distinguishes unique users | 2 years | Third-party (Google) |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 — maintains session state | 2 years | Third-party (Google) |
Advertising Cookies
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| _gcl_* | Google AdSense — conversion tracking | 90 days | Third-party (Google) |
| __gads | Google AdSense — measures ad interaction | 13 months | Third-party (Google) |
| __gpi | Google AdSense — stores publisher identifier | 13 months | Third-party (Google) |
4. Google Consent Mode
The Football Cafe implements Google Consent Mode v2 (Advanced Mode). This means:
• When you first visit the site, a consent banner is displayed asking for your cookie preferences
• Until you provide consent, analytics and advertising cookies are blocked
• Google tags operate in a privacy-safe mode that does not use cookies until consent is granted
• Your consent choices are stored locally on your device and can be changed at any time
This approach ensures compliance with GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and CCPA requirements while still allowing us to understand site usage and fund the site through advertising.
5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You can manage your cookie preferences in several ways:
Consent Banner: When you first visit The Football Cafe, a consent banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.
Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to block or delete cookies, though this may affect site functionality.
Google Ad Settings: You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings at https://adssettings.google.com.
Google Analytics Opt-Out: Google offers a browser add-on to opt out of Google Analytics at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
6. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us through our contact page at /contact/.