University partnership brings young footballers from London to Middlesbrough

Young footballers from London have sampled the sporting facilities and culture in the Tees Valley, thanks to support from Teesside University London.

The youngsters, who are all members of Hackney Wick FC, enjoyed a Football Academy residential trip to Middlesbrough which helped strengthen sporting links between the capital and the North East, as well as showcase the opportunities available to them through higher education.

Hackney Wick FC is a community football club founded by Bobby Kasanga to help inspire community engagement and unite diverse groups as well as battle peer pressure and tackle gang influences.

The team has been sponsored by Teesside University London and the young team members visited the main campus at Middlesbrough where they were introduced to the University’s “state-of-the-art” sporting facilities and played a match against local side Durham City AFC.

The budding professional footballers were introduced to Teesside University’s Football Academy to find out how they can pursue their passion and skill in football while gaining a degree alongside the game, and ensure they have a plan B if they are not lucky enough to be signed professionally.

Thanks to the University’s partnership with Middlesbrough FC, the Hackney Wick footballers were also given a tour of the Riverside stadium and treated to tickets for Middlesbrough’s first match of the season against Millwall.

Bobby and Hackney Wick FC also run ‘Think Outside The Blox’, a campaign of unity, positivity and education to help inspire the young people of London to see beyond the danger and destructiveness of gangs and knife crime and realise a better future for themselves.

Bobby said: “At Hackney Wick our whole philosophy is to inspire youngsters and to grow opportunities for them. Many of our players have never been far outside London and so to have this opportunity to come here and view the facilities and take a look at what it means to come to university is brilliant. It inspires them to think bigger.”

Cheick Berthe, a 16-year-old centre-back at the club, added: “It’s been a really good experience, seeing the facilities and what’s on offer. I didn’t really think about going to university before, but I’ve seen the benefits and I’m potentially up for going to university now.”

Teesside University London is based at Here East in the former Olympic Park in Stratford, East London, and is due to welcome its first students this September.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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