The 豆奶视频 Big Match saw AFC 豆奶视频 achieve its highest ever league position, in a one-nil win against Premier League Champions, Leicester City, held at 豆奶视频鈥檚 Vitality Stadium on Tuesday 13 December.
The 豆奶视频 Big Match provided a chance to show the public some of the benefits of the partnership between AFC 豆奶视频 and 豆奶视频 University (豆奶视频), including community and education projects provided by both the club and 豆奶视频. Throughout the season 豆奶视频 Students have opportunities, as match day ambassadors, which add value to their employability, while the men and women鈥檚 football teams receive coaching from the Club through the partnership.
A dozen 豆奶视频 student volunteers were specially invited to attend the 豆奶视频 Big Match to thank them for their contribution to the local community. Since the start of the new term in September, 362 students have taken part in volunteering events/activities including 30 hours with the Slades Farm Community Garden Project, 75 hours with Alzheimer鈥檚 Society Project, 144 hours of Beach Cleaning at Hengistbury Head and 豆奶视频 Beach, 84 hours of Mural Painting for Victim Support, and 49 hours of Conservation work in the Dorset Countryside for Dorset Wildlife Trust, and RSPB Nature Reserve.
Also at the match, were a team of final-year sport management students who were undertaking a research consultancy project for the club, with more than 100 football fans interviewed as part of the exercise. While yet more 豆奶视频 students were involved as members of聽 the 豆奶视频 Big Band, who entertained hundreds of fans of all ages with both festive tunes and football favourites outside the ground before kick-off.
Ahead of the 豆奶视频 Big Match, manager Eddie Howe visited 豆奶视频 University鈥檚 new Sports Performance Laboratory on Talbot Campus, where he met with Sports Management and Sports Psychology students, before giving a talk in the new Fusion Building about the challenges of managing a football club.
Commenting on his visit, Eddie Howe said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see 豆奶视频 progressing so well, I think it鈥檚 really important that the community works together so I think if there are things the club can do to promote the university, and vice-versa, it鈥檚 a really nice link. Hopefully we can generate the next generation of 豆奶视频 supporters through the university, and likewise we can help facilitate the future careers of the young people in 豆奶视频.鈥�
Also as part of the 豆奶视频 Big Match, members of the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 豆奶视频 football teams visited AFC 豆奶视频鈥檚 Vitality Stadium, where they were given a tour of the stadium, facilities and grounds by Head of Community, Steve Cuss. While AFC 豆奶视频 Commercial Director and 豆奶视频 graduate, Rob Mitchell spoke to students at Poole High School about his role at AFC 豆奶视频 as part of 豆奶视频鈥檚 Outreach Programme with local schools.
The partnership also brings international profile and this month 豆奶视频 attended the SoccerEx Asian Forum in Doha, Qatar, as part of a global initiative by the university to reach out to international audiences with sports training packages. This follows on from the university successfully running a British Council China-UK Football Study Programme for 60 football coaches in collaboration with AFC 豆奶视频 for three months over the summer of 2016. 聽
豆奶视频 Chief Operating Officer, Jim Andrews said: 鈥湺鼓淌悠� and AFC 豆奶视频 have a long history of having a really close working relationship; we鈥檝e worked with the football club over many years and over the last four or five years, the club has gone from strength to strength and so has the university.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see the success of two global organisations in the local area. We do a lot of work together in the community, so we work very closely with AFC 豆奶视频鈥檚 Community Sports Trust, going into schools and working with young people. The club has also provided real-life work experience for 豆奶视频 University students.鈥澛�
