- The Home Nations and EE have announced Mariam Musa from England as the winner of the first women’s Connected Club Cup tournament, and Louie Parker from England as the men’s champion, following the final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE
- Mariam and Louie battled it out against six of the nation’s best grassroots FIFA 23 players, followed by exhibition matches against Home Nations football players, and EXCEL esports gamer, Spencer Ealing aka Gorilla
27th July 2023: The Home Nations and EE has announced the winners of the Connected Club Cup 2023 – Mariam Musa as the champion of the first women’s tournament and Louie Parker of the men’s group. Mariam and Louie each won the title of the esports FIFA competition after competing in the final against six of the nation’s best male and female grassroots FIFA 23 players at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.
Each of the finalists also had the opportunity to test their skills against Home Nations football players Lucy Parker (ENG), Jess Park (ENG), Emily Ramsey (ENG), Marcus Harrison (ENG), Brad Bates (ENG), Ryan Porteous (SCT), Erin Cuthbert (SCT), Lily Woodham (WLS), Tom Lockyer (WLS), Chloe McCarron (NIR) and Rebecca McKenna (NIR), and EXCEL esports gamer, Spencer Ealing aka Gorilla in exhibition matches.
The eight finalists competed in a two-leg round-robin tournament (each player played against every other player in turn) with matches played on both Xbox and PlayStation, all streamed over EE Full Fibre Broadband.
Hosted at Wembley Stadium and narrated by leading esports commentators Rachel Stringer, Alia Harvey, Richard Buckley and Brandon Smith – the Connected Club Cup final saw grassroots gamers and fans follow the action on the FA Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/england) as it was live streamed over EE Full Fibre Broadband. Fans watched as Emma Rose from Northern Ireland, Erin Wylie from Northern Ireland, and Mariam Musa and Anna Rynn, both from England, went head-to-head in the women’s tournament, while Louie Parker from England, Robson Evans from Wales, Liam Martin Wilson from Scotland, and Luke Reid from Northern Ireland battled it out in the men’s tournament.
Connected Club Cup winner, Mariam Musa from England, stated: “To be a part of the Connected Club Cup’s first women’s tournament, and then to be crowned the first female winner, has been such an amazing experience. I hope this inspires more women gamers and football fans to get involved in esports and enter competitions like this in the future.”
Connected Club Cup winner, Louie Parker from England, also shared: “From playing in the round-robin tournaments to having the chance to play a game of FIFA against Home Nations football players like Ryan Porteous and Erin Cuthbert, it has been an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity – and this is all thanks to the Connected Club Cup.”
The winners received a tournament trophy, an Xbox signed by Home Nations players, tickets to a Home Nations game and signed National shirts. All semi-finalists won tickets to a Home Nations game and signed National shirts, while the finalists were awarded personalised National and Connected Club Cup shirts.
Stephen Hutchison, Head of Partnerships at the FA, said: “We are proud to partner with EE to support grassroots community football clubs through digital and football initiatives, such as the Connected Club Cup. I am looking forward to following the finalists’ journeys as they grow in the world of esports, and we hope that the Connected Club Cup continues to inspire many more youth gamers and football fans to get involved with the sport”.
As lead partner of the Home Nations Football Associations, EE is focused on improving the lives of millions of players, coaches, and fans across the UK. With grassroots clubs, the focus is to create closer football communities and opportunities through new digital and football skills initiatives. Connected Clubs is just one of those initiatives, with an ambition to connect over 200 grassroots community football clubs across the Home Nations with a package of EE products and services, including Wi-Fi, EE Full Fibre Broadband and landline. This year’s Connected Club Cup national final tournaments were hosted at a selection of EE’s Connected Clubs.
Christian Thrane, MD for Marketing at EE, adds: “Congratulations to Mariam and Louie for being crowned this year’s Connected Club Cup champions. As part of our ambition to become the UK’s number one destination for gaming, and our commitment to make football and gaming as inclusive as possible, we are pleased to provide a platform for all grassroots gamers to show off their talent and skills.
Through our partnership with the Home Nations Football Associations, and initiatives like the Connected Club Cup, we will continue to help transform grassroots clubs across the country into community hubs”.
Powered by EE Full Fibre, the Connected Club Cup showcases the strength of the ultrafast gigabit connection powered by EE. EE Full Fibre allows you to stream a 4K film, while playing video games online, while in a Discord call with friends or livestreaming on Twitch to your audience or community – all using less than half of what the connection could handle.
For more information on the Connected Club Cup visit: battlefy.com/connectedclubcup, and follow the Connected Club Cup winners Mariam Musa and Louie Parker journeys here: instagram.com/_futheda_ and twitter.com/ECV_LJ.
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