Junior Supporter Engagement Intern, Brandon Bland, talks about his experiences at Wigan Athletic
- Brandon Bland | Wigan Athletic Internship Case Study
- Junior Supporter Engagement Intern details his experiences at the Brick Community Stadium
- Wigan Athletic launched its new 2024/25 Internship Programme last week - Find out more here!
Wigan Athletic launched its new 2024/25 Internship Programme last week, which allows young people to gain experience working at a professional football club.
There are a number of opportunities currently available within the Media and Fan Engagement teams, providing you with a unique opportunity to learn and develop under the guidance of industry experts, and giving you exposure to life within our Football Club.
Following the full launch of the Internship Programme, Junior Supporter Engagement Intern Brandon Brand has detailed his experiences at Wigan Athletic to date, and how it has helped shape his career...
How long have you worked at Wigan Athletic and what does your role entail?
“I started working at Wigan Athletic in December 2023, just before Christmas. I am a Junior Supporter Engagement Intern and my focus is to make the matchday experience enjoyable for all children. On matchdays, I work over in the Family Zone, creating a fun and exciting atmosphere. During the week, I focus on our brand-new Junior Latics social media channels. I've really enjoyed being trusted with the responsibility and coming up with new content ideas. Overall, my role is to make all children feel welcome at the Brick Community Stadium and make them fans for life!”
What enticed you to work for Wigan Athletic?
“Currently, I’m in my first year of university, studying Sports Management at the University Campus of Football Business. From a young age, I’ve always been involved with football from going to watch my favourite team to playing grassroots football. I knew that football was more than just a passion once I turned 15 and started to help my Dad coach my brother's team. Once I turned 16, I gained my FA Level One coaching badge. I then went out to coach other grassroots teams in my local area while studying Sports Science at Sixth Form. I then gained a year of work experience at Gateshead Football Club and then I moved to Manchester in September 2023. I was looking to gain more industry experience to help boost my studies and that’s when I found this perfect opportunity at Wigan Athletic. It’s a great club, and everyone I have spoken to, including staff and fans, is amazing. I’ve very much enjoyed my time here so far!”
How rewarding is it to be part of the Fan Engagement Team?
“It’s great being part of the Fan Engagement Team, some of the feedback we get from people who join us every week to those who are first-time fans is amazing. Our fixture against Leyton Orient this year was dedicated towards International Women’s Day so we invited lots of girl junior teams to the match and a lot of them didn’t realise how amazing the Family Zone truly is. I’ve only been here for just over eight months but I feel like I’ve seen a massive increase in the amount of people coming into the Family Zone before a match. It’s a great feeling, it really is.”
What makes being at Wigan Athletic so enjoyable?
“I can’t thank Wigan Athletic enough for giving me this opportunity to learn more about the sporting industry. The most enjoyable thing about coming to work each day is that it is not the same every day. There are a lot of different things happening each day. All the staff have been very friendly since I started and they all want to help me learn and succeed. If anyone reading this wants to work within football or sport, I would recommend highly to try and get experience within a professional club. I wasn’t born a Wigan Athletic fan, but this Club definitely has a place in my heart. Up the Tics!”
Applications to join Wigan Athletic as an Intern are now open. Register your interest by 5pm on Sunday 21 July.