Swansea City will don the Visit Central Florida Logo on its arm sleeve during the 2023-24 season as the club’s official destination partner.
Visit Central Florida Makes Its Mark in English Football League with Swansea City A.F.C.
Visit Central Florida will continue to have a presence during the 2023-24 season in the English Football League as Swansea City A.F.C. will wear the VCF logo as part of its kit as an arm sleeve sponsor and, for the second-straight season, the official destination partner of the Swans.
“Polk County has a historic connection with the United Kingdom, which today remains one of our best international markets,” said Mark Jackson, the Director of Visit Central Florida. “Central Florida, thanks to our partners at the Florida Youth Soccer Association based in Polk County, and being home to Swan City FC, is a hotbed of Florida soccer. We’re thrilled to continue supporting Swansea City as their official destination partner.”
As part of the partnership, Visit Central Florida will be providing an opportunity for a lucky Swans fan to win an all-expenses paid trip to sample everything there is to enjoy in Lakeland. The prize is set to include a five-night stay, tickets to LEGOLAND, and Bok Tower Gardens. In addition to the visibility on the sleeve, VCF will also gain brand awareness for the destination with the ultimate goal of bringing the club here to train in the future.
Lee Merrells, head of partnerships at Swansea City, said: “We are delighted to have agreed to another season-long partnership with Visit Central Florida.
“This is a partnership that demonstrates that this is a football club that attracts global interest and attention, particularly in the US where we have a large fanbase and committed fan groups.
“We are particularly excited this season to have been able to include a competition which will give a Swansea City fan the chance to win a trip of a lifetime. And we are grateful to Visit Central Florida for their support.”
Lakeland – known as the Swan City – has a long history with the majestic bird, calling Polk County’s largest city home since the 1950s. After being eliminated by disease and predators in 1954 swans made their return on Feb. 4, 1957, after Queen Elizabeth II gifted two of her royal flock from the Thames River when former Lakeland residents stationed at a UK Air Force Base – Mr. and Mrs. Pickhardt – wrote a letter to Her Majesty to see if she’d be willing to gift a pair of her royal swans to our city. Queen Elizabeth II did and the rest, as they say, is history. The swans were released on the lake on Feb. 8, 1957, and have had a presence ever since.
Swansea City AFC is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales, in the United Kingdom, that plays in the English Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. The Swans, the first Welsh team to play in the Premier League, has played in the topflight of the English football pyramid for nine seasons across two spells. They won the League Cup in 2013 and competed in the Europa League the following season.
Swansea City will open its 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Swansea.com Stadium, when it takes the pitch against Birmingham City F.C.
