Cobh Ramblers have announced this morning that they are entering into a strategic partnership with English Premier League side Burnley FC.
The partnership is one of four that Burnley will enter into with clubs in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
They will support the development of young players and coaches and help with the identification and progression of talent in the region.
In addition, Cobh Ramblers aim to benefit in areas such as off-field organisational structure, and commercial opportunities.
The relationship between the clubs dates back to 1921 when Cobh chose their club colours from the claret and blue of Burnley who were the reigning English League Champions. Former Burnley player Stuart Ashton is currently manager of the Cork club as well.
Given the news about Sligo Rover’s plans for the development of the Showgrounds, it has been a particularly strong week for the domestic game here.
Affiliated clubs will benefit from a range of hands-on support from Burnley F.C. using the club’s football, operational and commercial expertise including coach education and player access. There will be a sharing of data across youth academies and sport science and access to tools such as AiSCOUT.
Initiative
Scottish Championship club Ayr United, Portadown of the NIFL Premiership and Cymru North team Llandudno will join Cobh Ramblers as part of the initiative.
Each of the clubs’ academies and women’s teams will compete in summer pre-season games and tournaments, while loan deals for Burnley’s academy players to gain experience at senior levels will also be considered.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to grow Burnley’s footprint and profile in every corner of the British Isles and benefit from working with some fantastic clubs on our doorstep,” said Burnley Chair Alan Pace.
“We look forward to developing a strong working relationship with Ayr United, Cobh Ramblers, Portadown and Llandudno which will no doubt benefit the clubs, the coaches and their players for many years to come.”
“While there are clear benefits to the football side of the club, I believe there will also be significant benefits both operationally and commercially for all sides, none of us is naïve enough to think we know it all, and I am sure we can learn from our partner Clubs as much as they can learn from us,” added Matt Williams, Burnley’s Chief Operating Officer.
Passionate
“We wanted to partner with clubs we felt would fit with what we stand for. The four Clubs are at the heart of their local communities, have a passionate fan base and have chairmen and directors, who are ambitious and constantly looking to improve.”
“This partnership with one of the founding members of the Football League in England is one we are particularly excited about,” added Cobh Chair Bill O’Leary.
“We, as a club, are ambitious and are positioning ourselves for growth and view this alliance as a key part of our strategy.”
“Burnley are a club we admire greatly in terms of its ethos and performance both on and off the field, and there are learnings for us. Commercially and otherwise there are mutually beneficial opportunities which we can work on together in real demonstrable ways, and the timing is appropriate for many reasons.”
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