The four-year partnership is highly innovative and among the first of its kind in the UK. It will see the Club and university join forces to offer bespoke education programmes designed to upskill students in a footballing environment.
In each year of the programme, a group of students from the University’s Events Management course will have exclusive access behind the scenes at the football club to experience first-hand the build up to, and delivery of, Manchester City Women’s match day events.
Working alongside the operations staff, the students selected will also have the unique opportunity to ‘manage’ a home fixture to put into practice the skills which they will have developed throughout the programme, the first of which will take place during the 2016 season at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium.
Players from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Women’s team will also take part in a training session led by MCWFC, and in addition, university coaching staff will also have the opportunity to observe Manchester City Women’s training sessions.
As part of the agreement, representatives from Manchester City Women, including coaching staff and players from the first-team, will be invited to attend the university as guest speakers to share their knowledge and experiences with students and at Open Days.
Commenting on the partnership, Manchester City’s Head of Women’s Football, Gavin Makel, stated: “Manchester Metropolitan University is a leading sports institute so we’re extremely excited to be working in partnership with them.
“Building on the work we’ve already done at the Football Club, we look forward to working with the university to continue to demonstrate that there is a pathway into football for girls and women, both on and off the pitch.”
Steph Houghton, Manchester City and England Captain agreed: “The Manchester City Women’s team are proud to be involved in this unique venture that aims to give students hands-on experience managing a real match-day event.
“Nothing beats the buzz of a football crowd and it will provide a good test for students to put what they have learned in the classroom into practice.”
Neil Hurren, Strategic Lead for Sport at Manchester Metropolitan University added: “This is the next stage in our expanding relationship with Manchester City Football Club following the acquisition of the Platt Lane Sports Complex.
“This unique partnership will create a number of exciting and meaningful educational opportunities for our students and coaches and we look forward to making the most of this partnership with one of the country’s premier Women’s teams.”
