Hull City Ladies and Bishop Burton College launch region’s first full-time women’s football programme

PARTNERSHIP: From left, Sarah Milton, Bishop Burton College director of sport and sports partnerships, Adrian Costello, general manager of Hull City Ladies FC (HCLFC), Chris Hames, first team manager at HCLFC and women and girls programme lead at Bishop Burton, Sophie Haywood, head of medical at Bishop Burton and forward for HCLFC, and Amelia Hudson, 16, a Bishop Burton student and goalkeeper in the Hull City Ladies Development Team

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

The first full-time women’s football programme in East Yorkshire has been launched to unlock opportunities at the highest level.

The new partnership between Hull City Ladies Football Club (HCLFC) and Bishop Burton College will create an under 21s academy team and is open to women and girls who would otherwise have to leave the area to pursue their sporting ambitions.

HCLFC is the premier women’s club in the region and the college already delivers a female football academy programme.

Now, the women and girls programme partnership will formally link the club and the college, enabling students to study and train full-time at Bishop Burton while playing competitively in the highest-level league fixtures and competitions.

The college will also have a development squad to ensure there is a clear pathway from grassroots to performance football.

Sarah Milton, Bishop Burton’s director of sport and sports partnership, said: “In line with our profile as a National Centre of Excellence for Sport we are very excited to be working in partnership with HCLFC to provide this amazing opportunity for women and girls to be part of a full-time education, training and playing programme.

“The girls will have access to our outstanding facilities and excellent education provision, and we’re thrilled to support and further local talent.

“With our Ofsted ‘outstanding’-rated residential accommodation, we’re also looking forward to welcoming players from further afield.

“This is a significant development in women and girls’ football, and we look forward to working together to take this to the next level at the college and through the club.”

The new programme will ensure players can consistently train and play together, and it supports both further and higher education pathways including playing and non-coaching roles.

Students on the programme will primarily study sport or business but students on other courses can still join.

OPPORTUNITIES: Sophie Haywood, head of medical at Bishop Burton College and forward for HCLFC, left, and Amelia Hudson, 16, a Bishop Burton student and goalkeeper in the Hull City Ladies Development Team

Chris Hames, HCLFC first team manager and women and girls programme Lead at Bishop Burton College, said: “This full-time performance programme is the first opportunity for young female footballers to approach football on a full-time basis in our region.

“It’s giving players the key educational skills and tools alongside access to training and games, so neither has to be compromised in pursuit of their career. This is a huge step for the area, the football club and the college.”

Bishop Burton College, near Beverley, recently launched its new state-of-the-art fitness facility, opening up new training and health opportunities for elite and aspiring athletes as well as providing an improved wellbeing offering for the local community.

Adrian Costello, general manager at HCLFC, said: “We have a development programme from under nine through to 16 and a development team and a first team, but we have nothing between 16 and 18.

“We need to broach that and keep hold of the talented young footballers, and they need to stay in education. We need an education provider and we must be able to coach them several times a week to ensure we have a progression to our first team.

“We’ve got to offer something better and more, so people want to come to Hull City Ladies, which is what we’re doing, and we’re delighted about the partnership.”

Sophie Haywood, head of medical at Bishop Burton and forward for HCLFC, played for Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest women’s teams before returning to her home city of Hull.

She said: “The facilities and opportunities this programme can present to girls on and off the pitch is really valuable. I had to go to America to get an education alongside playing in a full-time capacity, so to be able to offer that locally is so important.

“As a professional player I’ve had to choose between education or football on many occasions. Being able to go somewhere which offers first-class education and football training means players don’t have to be put in that position.”

Amelia Hudson, 16, a Level 3 sport student who is on the college academy programme and also goalkeeper for the Hull City Ladies Development Team, said: “As a young player to have this opportunity in our county is so exciting. The facilities are Bishop Burton are already outstanding, so we get to experience excellence everyday which makes it a great place to train and learn.

“This partnership takes it to the next level for me. Getting to train with players of a higher standard more often will definitely help improve our game, no doubt about it.”

• Trials to join the programme will take place at the college on February 18, with further trials planned for Easter, July and August. Existing HCLFC players are encouraged to attend and the trials are also open to external players. For more information, contact chris.hames@hullcityladies.com