Bath Spa University kicks off its first season as a sponsor of Bath City FC women’s teams this weekend following its historic partnership with the club as official sponsor of its Twerton Park ground.
The university’s logo will appear on the back of the women’s first team’s shirts for the first time when they play Weymouth Women on Sunday.
The university’s sponsorship for the 2023/24 season comes a year after the club secured backing from Bath-based financial services firm Novia to set up its first women’s team for more than a century.
Now the club has two women’s teams – one competing in the South West Regional Women’s Football League while the newly formed development team plays in the Somerset Women’s County League. Both wear the club’s famous black-and-white striped kit.
The university said its link-up with the club signified the start of an “ambitious ongoing partnership” that would include work and volunteering opportunities for students and university staff, community engagement programmes, curriculum development and student experience initiatives.
Bath Spa University Sports Media Production Course leader Lizzie Powell said: “Universities are more than just about teaching and learning, they’re also about reflecting the changing landscape of the world.
“For us to be able to be partnered with Bath City Women’s football teams like this is a really exciting opportunity. It’s about showing change, reflecting that it can happen, it should happen, and continuing that fight for equality, for our students to take advantage of that is really exciting.
“We can’t wait for the season to start; we've got their back – literally!
“Everyone on this team is a changemaker they're making history here at Bath City but also for us as an institution and for our students. We want them to drive change. We want them to go into the industry as innovators, as the new creators, and this gives us a perfect opportunity to do that.”
Bath City FC community director Jane Jones added: “We are determined to make a statement about women's football and how it should be treated equally with the men’s game.
“Both Bath City FC and Bath Spa University are community focused, and I know how committed Bath Spa is to improving things in the city, not just to integrate the students, but also to contribute to the life of the city, and we have that same passion and ambition here at the club.
“I’m excited about this partnership for two reasons: One is that the women's team presents a fantastic opportunity for students to come along and get some practical experience and as we grow and become more professional, there will be lots of opportunities for them to get involved.
“From social media to videoing and programme writing, students can come along and get some practical experience and help us on match days too.
“The second reason I’m excited is because Bath Spa has a lot of talented students, so we hope that, for the women that come and study at Bath Spa and who want to carry on playing football, Bath City Women can provide an outlet for them to do just that.”
Luanne Thornton is one player who has a special connection as she plays for Bath City Women and works as an accessibility advisor at Bath Spa University.
She said: “It’s really exciting to see Bath Spa supporting the local Club and as well women in football, especially given the progress that women's football is making on the back of the Euros and the World Cup. It feels like home and a family here.
“It’s really nice to walk into that environment, especially with it being my first season here. It’s a fantastic partnership because on both sides they really care about the community.
“Bath Spa in the past has had a great history of sponsoring things like Pride in Bristol or the literature festivals in Bath City Centre and I think expanding to that sports space creates that even bigger community between Bath and Bath Spa University – it's fantastic.”
Bath City’s first women’s – Bath Ladies FC – played in front of 31,000 spectators at Old Trafford in 1921, at a time when women’s football gained a peak in popularity.
While the 4,000-capacity stadium will keep the name Twerton Park, the official title will become ‘Twerton Park sponsored by Bath Spa University’.
