UCFB, a world first in higher education, is delighted to announce a partnership with Manchester City Council that will give students access to its world-class facilities on offer at the Etihad Campus, Europe’s largest concentration of elite sporting venues.
The partnership means students at UCFB, which offers university degrees and executive education in the football and related industries, will be able to utilise facilities such as the Manchester Regional Arena and Indoor Athletics centre, National Squash Centre, Belle Vue Leisure Centre and the National Basketball Performance Centre.
The National Basketball Performance Centre
The announcement comes on the back of a partnership launch in October last year which will see the grand opening of the UCFB Etihad Campus in September 2016, with classrooms inside the state-of-the-art Etihad Stadium. UCFB Etihad Campus allows students to live, learn and work in a leading football environment. The exciting addition of having access to these best-in-class facilities will enrich students’ studies alongside their academic learning.
Following its inception in 2011 at Burnley FC’s Turf Moor, UCFB’s second campus was unveiled inside the iconic Wembley Stadium in 2014. Last year also saw UCFB agree the UK’s first ever higher education partnership with the Real Madrid Graduate School, which will see UCFB postgraduate students spend time in Madrid as an educational and experiential opportunity.
National Squash Centre
The world-class facilities available at the Etihad Campus include:
* Manchester Regional Arena – an eight-lane track and field arena with capacity for 6,500 spectators. The space was originally used as a warm-up area during the 2002 Commonwealth Games;
* National Squash Centre – the home England Squash and Manchester Squash Club;
* Regional Tennis & Football Centre – a mix of six indoor and three outdoor courts fully floodlit to LTA standards, along with three 5-a-side 3G football pitches;
Regional Tennis & Football Centre
In addition to the Etihad Campus, UCFB students will also have access to the nearby new Belle Vue Sports Village – a brand new multi-million-pound sports complex comprising of the following facilities:
*Belle Vue Leisure Centre, – inclusive of two state-of-the-art all-weather pitches, health and fitness suite, dance studio and eight badminton multi sport sports hall;
* National Basketball Performance Centre – three FIBA-standard courts and is home to Basketball England’s national teams;
* The National Speedway Stadium – home to Belle Vue Aces.
Manchester Regional Arena
Brendan Flood, Chairman of UCFB, said: “Gaining access to these world-class facilities will not only enhance the learning experience for our students, but will also inspire them to aim high in their future chosen careers. The variety and quality of the facilities on offer to students is a fantastic addition to the programmes we can offer at UCFB.
“The opening of the UCFB Etihad Campus in September will be a landmark moment for UCFB and higher education in Manchester, and we’re delighted that students will gain unique access to the facilities on offer at the Etihad Campus.”
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council said: “Manchester is renowned as a leading sports city with a wealth of world-class sporting facilities and so this new partnership with UFCB is a natural fit. It’s great to know that many budding sports professionals will be launching their careers from our city for years to come.”
