New deal signed with Premier League club

Staffordshire University have secured their place in the Premier League by entering into partnership with Stoke City Football Club.

The move – which includes sponsorship of the famous Boothen End – builds on a long-standing relationship with the club which has seen Chairman Peter Coates, Manager Tony Pulis and President Gordon Banks all become Honorary Doctors of the University for their commitment to the area through business and football.

And in a bid to make the Staffordshire University name synonymous with Stoke City, which is now enjoying its fourth season in the Barclays premier league and its first season in Europe for 37 years, the University’s increased presence hopes to strike a chord with fans far and wide.

Paul Richards, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Staffordshire University, said: “This agreement formalises what has been a close association with the Football Club for some considerable time now.

“We share many of the same values and I am sure that we can enhance our reputations through alliance of the two brands and through working even closer together, particularly on projects which demonstrates our commitment to the local community.”

He added: “As well as the increased exposure that we will gain at Stoke City’s matches, there are many business to business benefits of having a much more active link.”

While a number of members of staff at the Britannia Stadium are graduates of Staffordshire University, the Club has supported many of the University’s courses, most notably the sports and broadcast journalism courses which are highly regarded in the industry.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis and other members of the football management team have been most accommodating in allowing students to conduct interviews with them and players at press conferences while also covering matches at the Britannia Stadium and other football news.

Stoke City FC’s Head of Commercial, Andrew Billingham said: “Staffordshire University attract international students from all over the world and they recognise the value of being able to increase their global exposure with the Football Club.

“At the same time though, their sponsorship of the Boothen End puts them right at the heart of the Club’s supporters and it was equally important to them to be associated with local pride because of the prominent and influential role which they play in the local community.

“An encouraging aspect of the growth of our supporter base in the past few seasons has been the increase in the number of young fans and obviously we hope that many students, whether locally based or visiting the area, will become followers of the Club in the future.”