Ashton Gate host Champions League

6 September 2011

Ashton Gate host Champions League

Bristol Academy Women’s Football Club will be holding a Press Conference on Tuesday 6th September, 12.30pm, at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate Stadium ahead of their UEFA Women’s Champions League first leg game against FC Energiya Voronezh.

BAWFC squad members and manager Mark Sampson, accompanied by Guy Price, Chief Executive of Bristol City Football Club, will be answering questions as the Club announce that they have chosen to play FC Energiye Voronezh at the Ashton Gate Stadium on Thursday 29th September, kick off 7.30pm, in the last 32 on the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

BAWFC (affectionately known to their loyal fans as The Vixens) qualified for the Champions League after reaching The WFA Cup Final against Arsenal at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Bristol Academy’s opponents FC Energiya Voronezh play in the Russian Women’s Premier League. They finished second in the league last season to gain qualification for the Champions League. Voronezh are the most successful women’s team in Russia, after having five League titles to their name. In 2003/2004 they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League where they lost both legs 2 – 1 to the eventual winners Umea IK.

Vixens Chairman Simon Arnold comments “this is a huge opportunity for Bristol to take the footballing centre stage. UEFA insist on higher standards of ground facilities for the Champions League and when we asked the City’s two professional Clubs if they could help to host this match both immediately said they would offer their grounds - which mirrors the fantastic support we have received all year from the two Clubs.

We decided to use Ashton Gate because we are a club that is proud of our Bristol roots - until 2005 we were called Bristol Rovers WFC, but we wanted to show that we are independent of Rovers and that every football supporter can back us – irrespective of their Red/Blue affiliation.

At Ashton Gate, the professionalism of the Robin’s staff has been fantastic and they have guided us through the process and we are sure that they will deliver a first class occasion.

I am absolutely thrilled that BAWFC are in the Champions League, but the costs of playing in the competition are very high. We survive due to the generous support of our Club Sponsors including Tradepoint, UWE and our kit suppliers, Sportsreach, but we are in search of additional local sponsorship to help support the Club in the Champions League - especially regional companies wishing to trade in Russia.

Our players are making financial sacrifices and contributing towards their travel costs during the competition to allow the full squad to travel to the Voronezh for the second leg of this round. It’s very different to the men’s game in the same competition where money is no object!

We are also launching a lottery scheme prior to support our Russian adventure called Russian Roulette which we hope local businesses will engage with – the first prize is naming rights of the Vixen’s home stadium at Filton College’s Stoke Gifford Campus”

Mark Sampson, Vixens Manager, states; ‘We have had the most unbelievable year imaginable. It is less than 12 months since Filton College’s Bristol Academy Women’s Football Club were selected to become one of the 8 WFA Super League teams in the inaugural year of this new semi-professional women’s football league. Personally, I could never have believed that in addition to managing the College’s female football academy, that I would have a team in the WFA Cup Final versus Arsenal, finish 5th in the league and now to qualify for Europe - it is like a dream come true. I have an exceptional team of players and I am so proud to be managing them in this competition and I am sure they will rise to the occasion superbly’.

Ticket prices for the game will be £6 for Adults and £4 for concessions on the night which can be brought at the gate. Early bird tickets are available through Bristol City FC at £5 for Adults and £1 for concessions. Students and staff of Filton College can get their tickets for £3 and these will be available from the WISE Campus.

You can keep up to date and follow Bristol Academy by visiting our website www.bristolacademywfc.co.uk, Facebook, facebook.com/bawfc and on twitter, @bristolacademy.

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