Burnley FC Integrates Women’s Team To Boost Women’s Football

Burnley Football Club has announced that Burnley F.C. Women and its operations will be fully integrated into the football club, as part of a long-term strategy to boost women’s football.

The entire Burnley F.C. Women operation will be integrated into the club with immediate effect, during the current temporary suspension of the 2020/21 leagues due to Covid-19.

The move is the first step towards the long-term aim of making Burnley F.C. Women a fully professional team. Burnley F.C. Women and the wider youth operations will come under football club operations, with the aim of increasing the team’s presence, infrastructure, and investment.

The day-to-day running of Burnley F.C. Women will move away from Burnley F.C. in the Community and become its own entity, operated as part of the club. Major investment, including the creation of a Women’s Academy, is planned to move the women’s team to the next level, following unprecedented back-to-back promotions into the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division; the third tier of women’s football.

The team will, in future, share the club’s Barnfield Training Centre facilities with their male counterparts and will seek new partners on an international scale, with the aim of improving every level of Burnley F.C. Women and its wider operations.

Plans for a Women’s Academy seek to provide a professional environment for young female players and establish Burnley as a hotbed for future talent in the women’s game.

Alan Pace, Chairman of Burnley F.C. said: “The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was arguably a turning point for the women’s game, attracting new fans and inspiring men and women all over the world to see football in a new light. The global pandemic has since had a huge impact on women’s football, but I believe it has a major role to play in the sport’s future growth, bringing in new audiences and demographics.

“Burnley F.C. is an inclusive club for all and today’s announcement signals our intent to put women’s football at the very heart of it. Over the coming seasons we will fully support and invest in our new women’s football strategy, with the ambition to gain promotion to the FA Women’s Championship within four years and ultimately become a full-time professional outfit.”

Neil Hart, CEO of Burnley FC said: “I would like to personally thank Burnley F.C. in the Community for all their hard work so far. I see this as a huge opportunity to move BFC Women forward and we will be supporting women’s manager Matt Bee and the players to do this. I am looking forward to rekindling my involvement with BFC Women and their full integration into the day to day operations of Burnley F.C.”.

Matt Bee, Manager of Burnley F.C. Women said: “Today’s announcement is exciting for all aspirational young footballers in Burnley, with the club demonstrating real ambition within the women’s game and a commitment to invest in infrastructure and development over the coming seasons. This is an exciting time for Burnley F.C. Women, and I can’t wait to work closely with Alan Pace, the ALK Capital team and Neil Hart to once again build on the fantastic success we’ve had in recent seasons when football can fully resume.”