How FWP Group is changing architectural design for the football industry

Mill Farm

The leading architectural, design and master planning practice, FWP Ltd, is a company that works on projects around the UK with the main office based in Preston, Lancashire with additional offices in Manchester and London.

The organisation’s direction is outlined by the examination of new objectives, development and knowledge, as well as the commitment to sustainability.

FWP Ltd offers services in Architecture, M&E Design, Structural Engineering, Interior Design, Building Surveying, Project Management, Quantity Surveying and CDM Consultancy.

In 2014, Blezard joined the FWP Group with their place of business operating out of Preston, it was established in 1960 and provides Building Engineering Services.

Blezard offers a variety of services to meet the needs of the clients such as Consulting Engineering, Services Management, Integrated Building and Energy Services.

By having vast amounts of wealth in experience covering refurbishment projects to the large scale new build developments across all sectors. Blezard is a team who brings knowledge and expertise in experience to the table to be able to align the current legislation and deliver the good practice necessary while demonstrating a firm grasp of the latest technologies, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and cost management.

They embrace a driven philosophy of the construction process and stand by their belief in early consultation and involvement with the design team who helps achieve the successful delivery of all their projects.

TRP consulting are experts in supporting civil, structural and environmental engineering consultancy services, with a wide variety of knowledge bases and advancing towards a proactive project delivery.

The FWP Group provides an extensive range of skills that include:

  • Feasibility studies
  • Site surveys
  • Sketch, detailed and advanced design
  • Planning and building reg applications
  • Tender application
  • Detailed production information
  • CDM Co-ordination and Health and Safety
  • Interior design and 3D Visualisation

The organisation is a solutions-driven company that has frequently carried through successful outcomes eventuating in lasting and reliable connections with customers, consultants and contractors.

After eight years of work, a project that FWP has been involved in was to deliver a multi-million pound for the home stadium of AFC Fylde, Mill Farm. The impressive North Stand has a capacity of 1,850 and also includes a state-of-the-art fan zone with quality game day food and beverage facilities.

Working with the English club competing in the National League North alongside David Haythornthwaite, the plan was to shape the idea for the mixed-use development and created a special home for the squad and its faithful fans.

Hugely beneficial for the local community and its economy, FWP has worked hand in hand with the club throughout the process to generate a vibrant and exciting development for locals to enjoy.

The evolution of Mill Farm Sports Village was made feasible by the connected enabling projects, which include multiple established and vastly successful, commercial and industrial growth on the site that has already brought more than 200 permanent and 400 provisional jobs to the area.

The home ground of AFC Fylde incorporates a 290-capacity sports bar, 70 seater Italian restaurant that has an al fresco roof terrace, a café with a large conference room as well as facilities for an event and also a five-star hotel.

The architectural and design innovated company has collaborated with a host of football clubs, including non-league sides such as AFC Fylde, Hastings United and FC United of Manchester, the rejuvenation of Championship side Preston North End’s ground consists of income generated and community facilities such as a gym, headquarters of local charities, NHS centre along with educational and conferencing facilities.

One of the notable achievements of the FWP Group has been to successfully deliver $1.73 million refurbishment for Everton’s corporate hospitality facilities at Goodison Park, a significant part of the Merseyside club’s revenue stream. FWP has also carried out work for Manchester United.

The strategic advice and the wealth of knowledge in design as well as the capability to work to budgets have put FWP Group ahead in the industry by demonstrating it is crucial when sports clubs have a short supply of resources for their plans.

The understanding that a football stadium can lay out a variety of income-generated necessities and community uses proceeding with to play a major fragment in assisting clubs to successfully revitalise their grounds.

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Preston Lions FC Promote Sponsor Branding Space

Preston Lions Football Club have begun advertising available branding space for new, interested corporate sponsors during the Australian Championship season.

The club is encouraging companies to become new club sponsors by incentivising branding exposure when Australian Championship matches are played on Preston grounds, with three days until the season starts.

The exclusive opportunities being promoted include media wall TV exposure, Top of Pavillion signage, signage on the Hill Marquees, Pavillion Bar Naming Rights, and flag signage behind the goal.

Quoted in the post, the club stated SBS Sport has 1.6 million followers on their socials in addition to the 12.4 million registered users for SBS On Demand.

Besides branding on kits, corporate promotions for club members and fans, and other engagement, sponsor advertising shown on television provides free promotion of the business to a larger audience.

However, comparing the local and Victoria-wide businesses as well as the Hon. Nathan Lambert MP, the exact amount of publicity and further new and returning customers varies.

Furthermore, already existing sponsors who do not have their branding viable to the cameras will miss out on the coverage.

Preston Lions FC are also advertising for any interested sponsors to aid the club for the next season.

The club will be playing against NWS Spirit at Genis Steel Stadium on the 11th of October, in the first match of the Australian Championship.

SBS is the Home for the Australian Championship

Last month, Australian Championship and the Special Broadcasting Service announced their partnership to broadcast all Australian Championship season matches for two years, which brings free-to-air sports programs back on Australian television.

SBS Sport Director, Ken Shipp promoted SBS’ identity which aligns with football.

“As the spiritual home of football in Australia, SBS is the natural home for the Australian Championship, an aspirational competition that will create a pathway for many of Australia’s brightest young players from the sport’s grassroots to the highest-level competition in the land, the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s competition,” he said via press release.

“SBS’s football offering now includes compelling competitions at every level and for every fan – including, of course, the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

The news of the Australian Championship and SBS deal has given anti-siphoning law voices another reason why sports should be available for all to watch.

In June this year, research published by Free TV Australia stated 67 per cent of Australians support protecting free-to-air sports broadcasting.

Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair stated the research showed most Australians are watching TV through the internet and will only increase as more people are ditching their aerials, as well as new homes aren’t built with them anymore.

“New anti-siphoning laws must be updated to reflect this reality otherwise millions will be forced to buy expensive streaming subscriptions during a cost of living crisis or miss out altogether on the great sporting events that bind our nation together,” she said via press release.

Anti-siphoning laws regulates media companies’ access to significant sporting events, including how much of a sport’s season must be shown on free-to-air channels.

Leverkusen CEO Calls for Global Salary Cap to Level Football

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has called for the introduction of a global salary cap, modelled on the NBA system, in an effort to reduce the Premier League’s financial dominance and restore competitive balance across European football.

Carro’s proposal centres on creating an international wage ceiling that would apply equally to all clubs, ensuring a level playing field for teams regardless of league or market size.

He emphasised that the concept could only succeed if implemented globally, preventing clubs in wealthier leagues from gaining an unfair advantage.

While UEFA already enforces spending controls linked to club revenues, financial inequality across Europe continues to widen. In the 2023/24 season, the Premier League generated more than €7.1 billion in revenue which is nearly double that of the Bundesliga, which brought in around €3.6 billion.

This revenue gap allows English clubs to consistently outspend their continental rivals in transfer fees and wages.

Carro’s comments have reignited discussions around financial sustainability and competitive fairness in football, raising the question of whether sweeping reform is necessary to preserve balance within the global game.

Carro spoke at the Bloomberg Future of Finance congress in Frankfurt where he warned that the Premier League’s financial power could soon overshadow even the UEFA Champions League.

“The Premier League wants to become the number one product in Europe, even ahead of the Champions League,” he said at the event.

“English clubs easily outstrip their competitors in terms of revenue. I’m usually against regulation, but this is something we have to try.”

A global salary cap could help narrow the economic divide between leagues and promote greater equality across world football. However, critics argue that it risks undermining the traditional open-market structure that has long defined European football.

By borrowing from the American sporting model, such a move could represent a major cultural shift away from the continent’s deep-rooted footballing traditions.

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