14 March 2008
Gordon Brown has said that getting young people involved in football enterprise could produce the next Alan Sugar or Karren Brady.
His comments came as the Government announced the expansion of an enterprise initiative run by Premier League clubs to help people develop their business skills. Aston Villa and Manchester City will introduce community programmes for local 13 and 14-year-olds following the success of similar initiatives at Middlesbrough FC and Blackburn Rovers.
Gordon Brown said:
"I have always felt that football can be a powerful force for good in our society - projects like Midnight Football and Kickz already offer all sorts of help to young people.
"By working with local schools and colleges, clubs can introduce young people to the realities of the world of business in a way they relate to. The next Alan Sugar, Peter Jones or Karren Brady might end up starting their own business through a love of football."
The Enterprise Academy at Middlesborough FC has been running since 2002, getting more than 30,000 young people involved in activities like designing football kits and learning about ticket sales. The Government hopes to see such programmes extended to all Premier League football clubs.
Business Secretary John Hutton said the initiatives "bring business to life" by using real football club examples "to make enterprise more relevant to young people".
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