As a BA (Hons) Football Business & Media student, Lauryn Fuller has landed a role within the Media Services and Operations team at Wembley Stadium, taking a step back from her long-term job at West Ham United in the Premier League’s off season. Here, Lauryn shares the highlights of working at the tournament so far and the unique atmosphere for England’s key games…

How have you found working at the tournament so far?

Over the last year sports fans haven’t been able to watch sporting events in person. It’s an amazing feeling to know that my role at this tournament is helping provide coverage for football fans all over the world. So far, I have met some amazing people that I will be working with for the rest of the tournament, which I think makes the experience that much better when you’re working with a great bunch of people.

Tell us about your role in the Media Services and Operations Team and how you landed it.

I applied for a role way back at the beginning of 2019, so to finally be able to see the event take shape and for me to be a part of it is super special. My role at the tournament is to help the media, press and photographers with accreditation and helping them get to where they need to be. We make sure that they’re able to complete their jobs of reporting on the matches smoothly. We are very much a part of the inner workings of the tournament and are very fortunate to have such good access to the event.

What have been some of your personal highlights so far?

I’ve been working at all the England games so far, which has been very exciting. I haven’t got up close to any teams or players like I might have with the COVID-19 protocols that are in place, but even just being in the same stadium with some of Europe’s best players is truly exciting.

How has your BA (Hons) Football Business & Media degree helped you in the role?

Through what I’ve done at UCFB in my studies, I’ve been able to learn about all the different roles that go into making events like this happen. In my role at the Euros, I can put this knowledge to work and provide an exceptional service to the media. Working at the Euros is allowing me to expand my experiences working within football and hopefully will allow me to progress into the industry and progress my career further.

What was the atmosphere like for England’s games in the tournament so far?

The atmosphere has been absolutely buzzing ever since the England v Croatia game. Even with a limited capacity, the fans that were lucky enough to get tickets were singing their very loudest at every opportunity. After Raheem Sterling’s goal in the first game the crowd were once again invigorated and everyone was able to celebrate together as fans which we haven’t seen very much of over the last year. There was a good vibe in and around the stadium on the game day which really electrified the atmosphere.

The England v Scotland game had the best atmosphere out of the three matches I have now worked at. Both sets of fans were in full voice for the entire game. Inside and outside the stadium there were fans chanting and singing which really made the match even more exciting. Although the final scoreline wasn’t what England fans would have hoped for, they made up for this in the game against Germany.

How have you found working with other UCFB students at the tournament?

Working at a tournament like Euro 2020, it’s a huge opportunity to network with new people from a variety of backgrounds. However, it’s really encouraging to see so many students getting to work at the tournament! It’s a big opportunity for all of us to have a part in making this tournament happen.