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Newborns welcomed with football club sleepsuits

Lewis Coombes,Sports editor, BBC Southand
Stuart Rust,South of England
BBC A baby lies in a clear hospital crib. A white sleepsuit with official AFC Bournemouth branding hangs from a coat hanger at the end of the crib. BBC
Lowan was the first baby to receive one of the AFC Bournemouth sleepsuits

A Premier League football club is aiming to forge connections with the next generation of fans by gifting official sleepsuits to newborns at a local hospital.

AFC Bournemouth's new initiative will see every new arrival at Bournemouth Hospital's maternity unit receive a branded suit over the next year.

Jim Frevola, from the club, said it was about making a "meaningful connection" with families, adding: "There's no better place to start than right at the beginning."

Baby Lowan, born at 03:15 BST on Monday, was the first to receive one of the suits.

AFC Bournemouth A group of hospital staff and people from AFC Bournemouth stand together in a ward for a posed picture. Two women at the front of the group are displaying AFC Bournemouth sleepsuits. AFC Bournemouth
The initiative will see every newborn at Bournemouth Hospital receive a club-branded sleepsuit

"It's a great scheme," said Lowan's dad Ryan. "And he's a Bournemouth boy so he'll be a Bournemouth fan when he grows up."

With the club's strong performances in recent Premier League seasons and qualification for European football for the first time in its history, Ryan added that it was "a good time to be a Cherries fan".

On average, 4,000 babies are born at Royal Bournemouth Hospital each year, and the club will provide a total of 5,000 sleepsuits.

Kerry Taylor, head of midwifery at the hospital, said she expected families to be "over the moon" with the suits.

"We're so lucky to be able to provide care to our local families and an opportunity to give them their first gift is really delightful," she said.

Although she added that some Portsmouth and Southampton fans may be "vocal" in their objection to the AFC Bournemouth-branded gear.

A man and woman sit in a dimly-lit room in front of a window with a Venetian blind. The man is looking directly at the camera while the woman, who is holding a baby in her arms, looks down at the child.
Lowan's parents, Hannah and Ryan, said the gift was a good start for the young Bournemouth fan

Karen Smith, senior charity manager at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, said the sleepsuits had already generated interest ahead of their launch.

"It was already being rumoured around and people were asking for them before they even launched," she said.

She described the initiative as "community and corporate partnerships at its finest".

A woman with blonde hair is pictured smiling at the camera in a hospital ward.
Head of midwifery Kerry Taylor said she expected families to be "over the moon" with the sleepsuits
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