Hi! I’m Marley Lomas, an upcoming Sports Media & Communications graduate from University Academy 92 (UA92). From November 2024 to April 2025, I was lucky enough to be part of the Emerging Club Leaders Programme. As part of the programme, I volunteered at Trafford FC as their Media and Marketing Officer, and it turned out to be one of the best industry experiences I’ve had so far.
It all began in November with a meeting with Andy Walsh, the Club Consultant at Trafford. We chatted about the club’s background, what they’re aiming for, and how I could help. Andy encouraged me to have a look at their socials and see where improvements could be made. Straight away, I noticed they didn’t have a TikTok account, so I saw an opportunity.
In December, I went to my first couple of games at Shawe View to get a feel for things and meet some of the staff, media team, and people behind the scenes. Everyone was welcoming, and I started to feel part of the club quickly.
When January came around, I officially launched the club’s TikTok account. I’d done loads of research into what kind of football content works well on the platform and started creating videos like pitch side highlights (all filmed and edited on my iPhone), promotion for matchday graphics, and clips using trending sounds.
In the first two weeks, the account hit 6.3K views, 215 likes, and 46 followers, which was not bad for a brand-new page!
February brought a big jump in engagement: 12K views, 400 likes, and 83 followers. With only one home game that month, I had to get creative. I used trending AI filters on player photos for fun, meme-style content, and kept pushing pre- and post-match promotion. I also helped promote a GoFundMe to raise money for repairs on the ground, which brought in over £500.
March was the highlight of the whole placement. The account took off, getting 88K views, 2K likes, and 165 new followers. One of the big reasons? A Trafford FC forward, Kevin Spinelli, was picked to join the Ballers League, which was blowing up online. I made a TikTok of his best clips with a viral sound, and it hit around 50K views on its own! I also jumped on the “Daily Routine” trend, putting a Trafford FC twist on it, and that gained around 25K views too.
Safe to say, my phone was blowing up that week.
April was my final month at the club and the end of the season. Luckily, there were a few home games left, so I stuck to what worked best, filming pitch side highlights and creating engaging matchday content. It was great to end on a high and keep the momentum going right through to the last match.
In total, during my time running the account, I reached 147K views and 3.8K likes.
My advice to anyone thinking of applying for the Emerging Club Leaders Programme is to work hard, stay creative, and believe. You don’t need expensive equipment, just a phone, an idea, and confidence.
A massive thank you to everyone at Trafford FC, from players to staff and fans. You all made me feel welcome and gave me the space to be creative. And of course, thanks to Andy Walsh and Paul Delaney for your support and guidance, and to the FA, BUCS, Sean Lofting and Dan Mathews for giving me this opportunity. I’m genuinely so grateful.
