Sunday will see Burnley make club history when they participate in their first ever SSE Women’s FA Cup 1st round match, away from home against Alnwick Town.
How they got there is a testament to the hard work put into new initiatives around growth and development implemented at the club over the last 12 months.
Previously functioning separately from Burnley FC, the decision was made last summer to bring the Girls and Ladies teams in house under the umbrella of BFC in the Community. A new Female Football Development Officer, Matt Bee, was recruited with the aim to restructure the club and to offer sustainable support for the long term. Burnley is seeing a growth in the desire to play female football and the club now engages with over 500 women, making it one of the largest programmes in the North West.
Matt Bee, whose ethos as a coach is to give young players a chance said, “My role with the first team has been to change the whole environment and structure of the team, both on and off the pitch, and to improve the overall professionalism of the club. We have now achieved that and we’re progressing in a fantastic direction with a great mix of both experienced players and young players. We are confident they have a big future ahead of them.”
Taylor Gregson, who plays in Burnley FC Girls and Ladies first team has come up through the club’s development scheme and said, “This club means a lot to me – it’s the only place I’ve ever wanted to play. It has undergone some big changes in the last year and this has massively improved the quality of all aspects of the club. The future is bright and I’m excited to be part of it!”
Sunday’s Cup tie is being staged at Alnwick Town FC, with a 2pm kick-off.
The SSE Women’s FA Cup Final will take place at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Saturday 5 May, 2018. Kids go free and tickets available on www.thefa.com/tickets
