Burnley FC’s women’s team are to become professional and fully integrated into the Premier League club.
The entire Burnley FC Women operation will be incorporated into the club with immediate effect, during the current temporary suspension of the 2020/21 leagues due to Covid-19.
The move is the first step towards the club’s long-term aim of making Burnley FC Women a fully professional team.
Burnley FC Women and the wider youth operations will come under football club operations, with the aim of increasing the team’s presence, infrastructure, and investment.
The day-to-day running of Burnley FC Women will move away from Burnley FC in the Community and become its own entity, operated as part of the club.
Major investment, including the creation of a Women’s Academy, is also planned.
The team will, in future, share the club’s Barnfield Training Centre facilities with their male counterparts and will seek new partners on an international scale.
Burnley FC chairman Alan Pace said: “The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was arguably a turning point for the women’s game, attracting new fans and inspiring men and women all over the world to see football in a new light.
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"The global pandemic has since had a huge impact on women’s football, but I believe it has a major role to play in the sport’s future growth, bringing in new audiences and demographics.
“Burnley FC is an inclusive club for all and today’s announcement signals our intent to put women’s football at the very heart of it.
"Over the coming seasons we will fully support and invest in our new women’s football strategy, with the ambition to gain promotion to the FA Women’s Championship within four years and ultimately become a full-time professional outfit.”
Chief executive Neil Hart added: “I would like to personally thank Burnley FC in the Community for all their hard work so far.
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"I see this as a huge opportunity to move BFC Women forward and we will be supporting women’s manager Matt Bee and the players to do this.
"I am looking forward to rekindling my involvement with BFC Women and their full integration into the day-to-day operations of Burnley FC”.
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Matt Bee, manager of Burnley FC Women, said: “Today’s announcement is exciting for all aspirational young footballers in Burnley, with the club demonstrating real ambition within the women’s game and a commitment to invest in infrastructure and development over the coming seasons.
"This is an exciting time for Burnley FC Women, and I can’t wait to work closely with Alan Pace, the ALK Capital team and Neil Hart to once again build on the fantastic success we’ve had in recent seasons when football can fully resume.”
The announcement comes after Burnley FC were acquired by Velocity Sports Partners (VSP), the sports investment arm of US management firm ALK Capital, at the end of 2020.
Burnley’s move follows the founding of Manchester United Women Football Club in May 2018.