SPAR Scotland extends the Scottish FA partnership

SPAR Scotland has extended their partnership with the Scottish Football Association for the next two years.

The partnership, which support the women’s and girls’ game, began in 2019 with the launch of the SPAR Future Stars Cup which saw 105 schools across Scotland compete in the tournament in its inaugural year.

The second edition of the competition will begin at the start of 2022 with more than 100 schools anticipated to register again.

“Our continued partnership with the Scottish FA and our sponsorship of the Scotland Women’s National Team allows us to encourage more girls to play football and increase participation numbers,” Colin McLean, SPAR Scotland chief executive, said.

“The tournament gained momentum prior to the pandemic and we were experiencing a lot of promising engagement. It was frustrating to see it come to an abrupt halt but to have the tournament return will hopefully give all of the participants a great lift and we are looking forward to seeing the 2021/22 Future Stars Tournament begin early next year.”

The Future Stars tournament is designed to encourage girls between the ages of 12-16 to participate in the sport and build on the positive momentum in women’s football generated by the increasing profile of the Scotland Women’s National Team.

“As part of the Scottish FA’s Girls’ and Women’s Strategy which was launched earlier this year, we want to increase participation in Scotland and inspire the next generation,” Fiona McIntyre, Scottish FA head of girls’ and women’s football said.

“The Future Stars tournament allows us to help facilitate these goals by providing a platform for young girls to compete in a safe, competitive and enjoyable environment. We are extremely grateful to SPAR for their support following the disappointment of last year’s competition being cancelled due to the pandemic.”

As part of the partnership, SPAR Scotland will be sponsoring the Scottish Women’s National Team until 2023.