Birmingham City Ladies football star Karen Carney has visited a company to say thanks for giving the team a Hollywood makeover for the launch of the exciting new televised FA Women’s Super League (FAWSL).
Signs and graphics giant Hollywood Monster has agreed to sponsor the Blues team’s new shirts as they embark on their first campaign in the Football Association’s eight-club elite competition. Blues Ladies have won all three of their matches so far and are top of the table. They meet second-placed Arsenal Ladies on Thursday (April28).
Karen visited the company’s headquarters in Tyseley, Birmingham, to express the team’s appreciation for their support. Birmingham City Ladies FC will face top teams including Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool in the league which for the first time in history will take place during the summer months.
The aim of the league is to establish and grow the women’s game while attracting a wider audience by introducing family friendly activities including keepy-uppy competitions and music entertainment before and after matches. The launch of the Women’s Super League is the single biggest event to happen in women’s football in the UK.
Hollywood Monster has sponsored Birmingham City FC for 20 years and jumped at the chance to sponsor the women’s team’s shirts in a two-year deal for an undisclosed sum.
Managing director Tim Andrews said: “Hollywood Monster is delighted to be supporting Birmingham City Ladies at what is a very exciting time for women’s football. This is a fantastic opportunity for the women’s game to gain national coverage and I am sure it will encourage thousands of schoolgirls to get involved in the sport.
“We’ll be supporting the team every kick of the way as they take on the elite of women’s football in England. We’re proud to be associated with the ladies team and we hope that they can bring more silverware back to St Andrew’s.”
Blues' President Carson Yeung said: "We are delighted to welcome the ladies side into the Birmingham City fold and will give them all support possible in the form of the wealth of experience and knowhow we have behind the scenes at St. Andrew's.
"The Women’s Super League promises to be really exciting and I for one am extremely proud that Birmingham City Ladies are going to be a part of it. As well as cheering on Blues and playing their part in helping to steer us up the Barclays Premier League table it would be great to see as many supporters as possible getting right behind the ladies team too and roaring them on. Many thanks, also, to Hollywood Monster who have kindly agreed to sponsor the ladies.”
Blues star Karen said: “We've all been working hard to get ourselves ready for the inaugural FAWSL campaign and we're delighted that Hollywood Monster are lending their support to this exciting era for women's football in the UK.
“I know Hollywood Monster have a long association with Blues and the whole ladies squad will be aiming to do our new sponsors, and the name of Birmingham City FC, proud across the course of this season and beyond.”
The new league aims to be family friendly and fans will be able to interact with their favourite players both at matches and online, with live matches and highlights also being broadcast on ESPN. Fans can visit facebook.com/FAWSL or www.fawsl.com throughout the season to have a say in their league and clubs, and to access exciting behind the scenes news and videos from players. The FA is investing a total of £3million over the next two years in the FAWSL.
Hollywood Monster has invested heavily in state-of-the-art printing technology enabling it to produce enormous banners and advertising hoardings at high-profile sites including sports stadiums, festivals, rock and pop concerts, shopping centres and property developments.
[Photo shows Hollywood Monster managing director Tim Andrews meets Birmingham City Ladies FC star Karen Carney.]
