Gracing the famous Wembley turf in an FA Cup final – not a bad way to end 15 months of exceptional work experience!
That’s exactly what happened to recent UCFB graduate Craig Harrison back in May, as his time as an event assistant at Wembley Stadium, part of UCFB Wembley, for The Football Association came to an end.
The BA (Hons) Stadium and Events Management graduate has covered many high profile events at the national stadium, including England fixtures and Community Shield finals. He counts the recent FA Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea as his highlight though.
Craig said: “Being on the pitch after the final and directing the Arsenal players to the celebration board was another special moment, with many of the players high-fiving me!”
He added: “Being part of the climax of the biggest football event in the country was magical, especially being pitch side as the teams walked out the tunnel. Seeing the work that went in from The FA, which finished with this big showpiece event, showed me how much work was actually done.”
Like many students at UCFB, Craig landed the role through the Complementary Curriculum team, who advertise work placement opportunities to students on a weekly basis. As part of his role with The FA, Craig had a whole array of different tasks that he had to carry out, both on the days of the events and in the run up.
He said: “I learnt how to create and print accreditation as well as the distribution process, so everyone who needed to access the stadium on event days could. I also helped to make sure the players block was as requested by teams, and was on hand if these teams needed anything else.”
Craig went on to speak about the importance of his time with The FA and how the experience and skills he learnt will help his career in for the future.
Craig added: “I was using aspects of my course and seeing how they came to life in real event situations. After graduating, I hope to land a role within the event industry that is similar to this one, but a step up. A job within a football club would be the ideal step, but I am open to something different too – maybe a role within a music venue!”
