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University pledges support for West Bromwich Albion women’s football team

08/12/2020

The University of Wolverhampton has pledged its ongoing support for women’s football by partnering with West Bromwich Albion Women Football Club.

The one year agreement will see the University become headline sponsor on home and away match day shirts for the Football Association Women’s National League side. 

The partnership also incorporates the West Bromwich Albion Regional Talent Centre for Women and Girls, supporting the Football Association’s new ‘Inspiring Positive Change’ strategy and promoting the value and importance of Women’s and Girls football within the local community.

Hannah George, Albion Women FC’s Captain, said: “Publicity from the women’s game is getting bigger and a lot more people are supporting it.

“The University for us is a massive sponsor.  It will give us a lot more profile. We’ve used the facilities here quite a few times for training and games and we want to progress the team and the club, moving forward hopefully into the Championship.”

Professor Geoff Layer, Vice Chancellor at the University, said: “This is an amazing partnership for us and it brings the University right to the heart of its community.

“It’s part of our equality agenda to develop different aspects of sport in different walks of life. The partnership will provide opportunities for students to gain real life experiences within the women’s game in coaching, sports therapy and performance analysis, further supporting our new sports course curriculum.

“We also see this new partnership as a significant opportunity to enhance the club player pathway and develop employment opportunities which are aligned to the key criteria of the Football Association’s Strategy.”

David Lawrence, University of Wolverhampton Head of Football, RTC Technical Manager and Albion Women FC’s General Manager, said: “This new partnership further links into the University’s new sports curriculum for degree courses including the new Sports Coaching and Performance undergraduate qualification, giving students the opportunity to see and be part of an elite sport environment.

“Women’s football is flourishing and gaining ever more importance on both the national and international stage and it’s really important that our curriculum reflects the dynamic changes taking place in sport in terms of providing girls and women with a level playing field in sport.”

Walsall Campus is an internationally renowned venue for elite international sport and is a base for the British Judo Association’s Centre of Excellence which sits alongside the University’s sports education and research facilities supporting the sports degrees on offer. The Campus will also host Team Wales for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

WLV Sport offers a range of sport related Undergraduate degrees including Football Coaching and Performance, Sport Business Management, Sport and Exercise Science, Physical Education and School Sport, Sports Coaching and Master’s degrees in Sport and Exercise and Strength and Conditioning.

Anyone interested in studying Sport at the University should register for one of the next Virtual Open Days in 2021.

Picture caption from left to right: Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, Hannah George, Albion Women FC's Captain and David Lawrence, University of Wolverhampton Head of Football, RTC Technical Manager and Albion Women FC's General Manager.

ENDS

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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