Two-year deal to include bursaries for young people from under-represented backgrounds
We at the Football Writers’ Association are delighted to announce that Sports Interactive have agreed a two-year deal for Football Manager to be a sponsor of the FWA.
Central to the sponsorship agreement, which formalises the close ties that have existed between Football Manager and the FWA over many years, is the promotion of education. To that end, four new bursaries have been created to encourage young people from under-represented backgrounds within the journalism industry.
Each bursary is worth £5,000 and is designed to help students pay for tuition fees and training programmes. In addition to the financial aspect, recipients of the bursaries will become full FWA members, receive mentorship from a senior FWA member and a work placement with Sports Interactive.
Richard Trafford, Sports Interactive’s Head of Business Development and Partnerships, said: “The entire studio is delighted to play a small role in the fantastic initiative created by the FWA to assist aspiring journalists from unrepresented backgrounds. Four students are currently being assisted by the FWA and hopefully we will see them working for our favourite media outlets at some point in the future. Equally, we are honoured to be formally aligned with principal representation of football writers in England.”
The FWA’s Executive Secretary, Paul McCarthy, added: “We are delighted to welcome Football Manager to our family of sponsors. They are the kind of blue-chip brand that the FWA are proud to work alongside.
“Their impact has been immediate and the four bursaries we have been able to award, thanks to Football Manager’s generosity, are changing the lives of potential young journalists from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in the industry.
“We look forward to our relationship going from strength to strength.”
About Sports Interactive™ Ltd.:
Sports Interactive (SI) is the world’s leading developer of sports management simulations. Founded in 1994, SI became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA in 2006. Based in Stratford, East London, the SI team includes more than 270 full-time staff members, supported by a network of roughly 1,000 part-time researchers across the globe. SI is an official partner of many major football leagues and organisations, including UEFA, the Bundesliga, LFP, the EFL and the League Managers Association, as well as numerous charities and not for profit organisations. Further information on the studio and its work can be found at www.sigames.com.
About Football Manager™:
Football Manager (FM) is the world’s leading football management simulation title. With more than 50 countries to manage in and a database of over 800,000 players and staff it offers an incredibly detailed and immersive experience. In FM you make all of the key decisions, from signing (and selling) players through training, team selection and tactics as you take your team to the top of the footballing world while carving out your own philosophy and strengthening your club’s identity. FM has grown to become more than just a game and has embedded itself in the football industry; the FM database is used by several clubs to help shape their recruitment strategies and thousands of professional footballers and backroom staff members are committed fans of the game. FM has become an integral part of modern fan culture; the game has not only enhanced the collective footballing knowledge of its players but has been the inspiration for several books, a stand-up comedy show and even a feature length documentary. For more information on Football Manager, visit www.footballmanager.com.
