DMU Signs Exciting LCFC Partnership

These will include work placement opportunities at the club, ticket offers, professional coaching and a headline friendly between the DMU football team and a Leicester City XI.

The deal was signed by De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard and Leicester City Chief Executive Susan Whelan at King Power Stadium, before the third round Capital One Cup match against local rivals Derby County last night.

Working with one of the UK’s leading football clubs, one which is already making strides this season both on the pitch and behind the scenes with its worldwide business operations, is part of DMU’s drive to give students an unrivalled experience during their time at university.

This will include unique work experience opportunities with LCFC, further boosting students’ employability and giving them a head start when entering the graduate job market.

Highlights of the partnership agreement are:

- Work placements for DMU students across all areas of Leicester City’s operations

- Ticket offers for students and staff to each Leicester City home game

- LCFC coaching sessions for the DMU football teams, including a training session with a Leicester City legend

- A DMU students v Leicester City XI game to be played as a warm-up before DMU take on Leicester University in the annual Varsity game

- An opportunity for DMU to further build on its links with Thailand through Leicester City’s owners King Power, enhancing DMU’s reputation for being a truly international university

- A collaboration, between De Montfort University’s world-renowned International Centre for Sports History and Culture and Leicester City, to run a football lecture marking 125 years of the Football League 

DMU’s logo has now taken pride of place outside of King Power Stadium.

Professor Shellard, who announced the deal with Ms Whelan, said:  “I cannot stress enough how pleased DMU is to be working in such close partnership with Leicester City.  Both the club and the university offer support to the Leicester community and do much to promote the city worldwide, so it makes perfect sense for us to work together and go on to achieve much more.

“What pleases me most is how Leicester City is working with us to further enhance the student experience.

“Our students will be able to gain vital work experience at Leicester City to make them more employable, our sports teams will have an unbelievable opportunity to be coached by City staff and both students and staff will be getting behind the team at every home game this season, hopefully cheering them on to a place in the Premier League.

“It is a brilliant partnership and we look forward to working closely with City for the rest of what we hope will be a successful season for the fans and the club.”

Leicester City’s Chief Executive Officer, Susan Whelan, said: “It is our great honour to be working with DMU, one of Leicester’s leading educational establishments, on a partnership that will have great benefits for both organisations.

“Strengthening Leicester City’s place at the heart of the Leicestershire community remains one of our Football Club’s major long-term objectives and working with DMU, we have an opportunity to help develop part of the city’s future.

“In addition to providing excellent opportunities for young people to further their experience in a working environment, we have some exciting initiatives planned to engage with DMU students more broadly and encourage them to become part of the LCFC family.

“Under the agreement, De Montfort will also offer academic ‘sampler’ courses for players and they will assist with intensive English language courses for overseas players. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship together.”

Many students and staff attended the game including DMU’s men and women’s football chairs Nathan Studholme and Helena Mubiru.

Nathan said: “It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for DMU students to get involved with the club. Potential students who look towards DMU for sporting opportunities expect a great standard of football. With this partnership they will get it and I can see people wanting to come to DMU because of it.”

Helena said: “This partnership with Leicester City is going to be great for us and DMU. It is going to do so much to raise the profile of women’s football at the university.”

The new partnership builds on De Montfort University’s existing work with Leicester City.

Earlier this year, the university signed a letter of co-operation which included aims of helping celebrate the heritage of Leicester City Football Club with the help of DMU’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC).

DMU is also looking at developing a Leicester City heritage trail centred on the Square Mile - a university project which works to help people working and living within a square mile of Leicester. The Square Mile includes the Fosse Road area - where City, who began life as Leicester Fosse, were founded and played some of their first games.

Dr Neil Carter, of the ICSHC - which jointly runs the world-leading FIFA degree in sports management - is writing a regular column in City’s award-winning ’CITY’ Matchday Magazine all about football heritage. 

De Montfort University has now signed partnerships with all of Leicester’s leading professional sporting clubs to the benefit of students and staff. DMU has partnerships with Leicester City, Leicester Tigers, Leicestershire County Cricket Club and the Leicester Riders, who play their matches at DMU’s John Sandford Centre.