UCFB are delighted to launch the Summer’s Cup, a tournament designed to build on the success of the women’s game after England’s historic victory at Wembley last month.
The competition saw several professional teams, including Tottenham Hotspur and Watford FC, competing in knock-out 20 minute matches. UCFB Women’s Academy, despite being surrounded by elite clubs, glided through to the final of the tournament without conceding a single goal.
While they didn’t quite win it on the day, after Bristol City put up a fierce fight, the event proved a monumental success, and the organisers are hoping to run it up to four times a year going forward.
UCFB students weren’t just taking charge on the pitch, either. Volunteering with linesman jobs and logistical roles, they supported James Gibson and Anielka Pieniazek who created the tournament to showcase UCFB’s unique offering for elite female players.
James, Head of UCFB Women’s Academy, said: “Today was an opportunity to work together with the clubs more closely, in terms of letting the clubs see what we’re about and also letting our students get a feel for professional football as well.”
The Cup also encouraged playful entrepreneurship amongst the teams – Tottenham Hotspur women were split into groups, having to plan three separate business ideas to grow women’s football.
Anielka added: “It’s a project we’ve put together to make sure we’re getting traction with female students. We’re trying to get more females to study at UCFB, so this tournament is trying to expose different young females to us.”
James finished: “Off the back of the Women’s Euros, we wanted to ride that wave. [Having] talked to players, staff, spectators, people seem happy…it seems like a festival of football!”
