University of Birmingham partners with Birmingham City FC to commemorate anniversaries

The University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Football Club have announced a strategic alliance to mark their 125th and 150th anniversaries, which will involve job opportunities, shared research, and even a match dedicated to the university.

Speaking about the new partnership, Jeremy Dale, the Interim Chief Executive Officer at Birmingham City FC, expressed his excitement for the future: “The University of Birmingham is recognised as one of the leading institutions of knowledge and research. To tap into that incredible organisation and work with them to make us smarter and accelerate our progression is so very exciting.”

The university has long been a world leader in the sporting world, having offered the UK’s first sport-science degree course in 1946. They have also had countless representatives at an international level, including at the recent Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The institutions are hoping to improve health equality across the city, particularly improving life expectancy, which is currently among the lowest in the country. The university is seeking to aid local communities in early detection of illness and enabling them access to groundbreaking clinical trials.

The university, which is renowned for its sporting prowess, will utilise its expertise to aid the club in a range of domains from physical performance to psychology. Athletes from across the Club will benefit from the Academy players to those on the Women’s and Men’s First Teams.

Those at the Academy will specifically benefit from the university’s character education programme, a sophisticated scheme that focuses on preparing young athletes for the psychological demands of high-level sport. This programme will also be expanded to local schools, where the club’s foundation already works hard to inspire local children to play football.

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BCFC will in return offer internships, job opportunities, and entertainment to UoB, helping students to gain experience and support their local team. To mark the start of the partnership, there will be a ‘University of Birmingham Day’ on 16th February 2025 when Birmingham City Women face Sheffield United Women in their Championship game. Students and staff from UoB will be invited to watch the match as guests of the club.

There are also plans to provide opportunities for those studying creative subjects at UoB. Digital Media and Communications students will have the chance to work with BCFC to showcase the city on a global stage, promoting it as a hub for education and sport.

Adam Tickell, University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor, spoke about the alliance, saying, “With long-established roots in Birmingham allied to a global outlook and reach, we see strong connections and opportunities with BCFC.”