Burnley FC Launches British Isles Club Partnerships
Burnley Football Club is expanding its reach to all four corners of the British Isles after agreeing strategic partnerships with football clubs in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The English Premier League club is linking up with Scottish Championship club Ayr United, League of Ireland First Division side Cobh Ramblers, Portadown of the NIFL Premiership and Cymru North team Llandudno.
Giving the Clarets a footprint across the UK and Ireland, the partner clubs will benefit from Burnley’s football expertise in development and education of their coaches and players, sharing of data across youth academies and sport science.
In return Burnley will widen its scouting network for talent identification in the partner clubs’ region, with the most talented young players from each club travelling regularly to Burnley for football camps and assessment when identified.
Speaking of the partnerships Alan Pace, Chairman of Burnley FC, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to grow Burnley’s footprint and profile in every corner of the British Isles and benefit from working with some fantastic clubs on our doorstep.
“We look forward to developing a strong working relationship with Ayr United, Cobh Ramblers, Portadown and Llandudno, which will no doubt benefit the clubs, the coaches and their players for many years to come.
“This is very much the first step in our plans to expand the football network of Burnley, build the relevance of our club beyond the North West of England and ensure that Burnley’s academy continues to be a high-performance hotbed for future first team players and international footballers.”
The development of coaches will be central to Burnley’s work at the partner clubs – the club will provide hands-on support in creating best practice structures to implement professional coaching in line with Burnley’s Category 1 Premier League academy.
Matt Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Burnley FC, added: “While there are clear benefits to the football side of the club, I believe there will also be significant benefits both operationally and commercially for all sides.
“None of us are naïve enough to think we know it all, and I am sure we can learn from our partner clubs as much as they can learn from us.
“We wanted to partner with clubs we felt would fit with what we stand for. The four clubs are at the heart of their local communities, have a passionate fan base and have chairmen and directors, who like Alan Pace and his team are ambitious and constantly looking to improve.”
Image: burnleyfootballclub.com
