Warrington Rylands are going to Wembley – and UCFB student Jake Ellis has played his part in helping them get there!

This weekend the North West Counties Premier Division side will take on Binfield FC at Wembley Stadium in the FA Vase final – a historic moment for the club – following a memorable 2-1 win over Walsall Wood in the semi-final.

Jake, who studies BA (Hons) International Football Business at UCFB Etihad Campus, has been working alongside the club’s media team. Here, he tells us more about the club’s big day and his role at Rylands…

Congratulations to you and Warrington Rylands FC! How does it feel to be going to Wembley?  

It feels unbelievable to be going to Wembley with Rylands. After the year that we've all had I'm sure all UCFB students are just dying to get back into any crowd to watch their teams. The fact it's a cup final at Wembley is the icing on the cake – for Rylands this is a first in their long history. It's very special and for the team that they have they completely deserve to be there. They play fantastic attacking football and have had some great games throughout the Vase competition.

How did you all celebrate?  

Unfortunately, I was working during the semi-final but between WhatsApp and the club's Twitter feed I was able to keep up to date with the game, which I must admit had me nervously refreshing the page as Walsall wood brought the game back to 2-1.

Tell us more about your role at Rylands. What does it entail, how did you get it and how long have you been doing it?  

My role at Rylands currently is to help the media team with content for all the club's social media pages. As a business student I was looking for football business work opportunities on the UCFB job teaser page and found Rylands' advert for a social media role. I got in touch with the club's secretary Tony who was great and told me about the club's history and motivations for the future, and straight away I knew Rylands were moving in a positive direction. 

Typically, my work for Rylands is done before or after the 90 minutes of the game. I provide match day animations (goals, substitutions, half time, full time) and social media posts for the club. I've really enjoyed helping the social media pages, and recently the club achieved over 5,000 followers on Twitter which was great to be a part of. Although with football coming back, I can't wait to get more involved with the business side of the club.

Will you be able to get to Wembley to cover the game?   

I will be at Wembley for the Vase final, so I’m currently working on preparing the graphics for my media colleagues ready to post, so I’ll be able to fully enjoy the action.

Wembley also happens to be at the heart of your London campus! What have you been able to take from your studies on the International Football Business programme into the club?  

I've enjoyed every module of my course so far. I've had some great tutors that have really made the course interesting. It's been a shame to have not been able to visit the Etihad this year but cannot wait to go back, hopefully in September!

How important has this work experience at Rylands been alongside your studies?  

The work experience I've had with Rylands alongside my course has been great to understand the roles of everyone involved with non-league football. I'd recommend any UCFB students to check the job teaser page and make the most out of any opportunity.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to study at UCFB?  

My advice for anyone looking to study at UCFB is to take full advantage of any opportunities that are available, there are some amazing and unique opportunities to listen or work with some fantastic people within the game. The Global Institute of Sport also provides great talks from international sports leaders who supply great advice and knowledge, especially for anyone looking to understand overseas sports.