Did You Know: Airbus Has Its Own Football Team

Time Stamp: January 15, 2022 10:59 AM
Source Node: 1585226

Multi-national European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is a large and diverse company, with over 130,000 employees on its books as of 2020. It is best known for its production of airliners, but also has other divisions such as Helicopters and Defence & Space. There is even a football team that bears the company’s name, situated adjacent to its Broughton factory.

Airbus Beluga Broughton
The Beluga is a frequent visitor to Airbus’s Broughton factory. Photo: Airbus

A long-standing factory team

The football team in question is known as Airbus UK Broughton FC. It plays its home matches at a small stadium located at the southern end of the Airbus factory in Broughton, Wales. This site is adjacent to Hawarden Airport, and thus the team’s stadium is known as The Airfield. However, under current sponsorship, it bears the name of the Hollingsworth Group.

The team has been in existence since 1946, long before the formation of Airbus. In its early years, it functioned as the works team for the tenants of the adjacent factory, initially Vickers-Armstrong. In the years that followed, other manufacturers have also used the site, such as BAE Systems, British Aerospace, de Havilland, and Hawker Siddeley.

The site at Broughton dates back even further, having been established in 1939 to support wartime aircraft production. Similarly, Hawarden Airport began life at around this time as RAF Hawarden. It remains active today, with Airbus’s Beluga and BelugaXL outsize freighters being frequent visitors to transport the wings produced there to Toulouse.

Airbus UK Map
The team’s stadium lies near the end of Hawarden Airport’s runway 04. Photo: Google Maps

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The glory years

The team has spent much of its life playing regionally, in the lower divisions of the Welsh football league system. However, in 2000, the same time as it took on its Airbus UK identity, the side won promotion to the second-tier Cymru Alliance. After four years playing at this level, Airbus UK won another promotion, to the top-tier Welsh Premier League.

After a difficult start to life in Welsh football’s top division, Airbus UK began to establish themselves as a competitive side. In 2007, it was renamed again, taking on its present Airbus UK Broughton FC moniker. It retains a strong connection to Airbus, with an A380 appearing on its badge, as seen in the tweet above. The club’s nickname is also ‘the wingmakers.’

Airbus UK FC Getty
Airbus UK (in blue) reached the final of the Welsh Cup in 2016. Photo: Getty Images

The 2010s marked a particularly glorious era for the team, whose stadium floodlights are retractable owing to the proximity of an active airfield. Airbus UK came 2nd in the Welsh Premier twice during this time, as well as reaching the Welsh Cup final in 2016. The side even played in the UEFA Europa League for three straight years owing to their domestic success.

Looking to return to the top

In recent years, Airbus UK has not enjoyed such success. The team was relegated in 2017, although it regained its top-flight status two years later. However, another relegation followed, and it now plays in the second-tier Cymru North. Nonetheless, Airbus UK remains optimistic, stating that “we are now hoping the 2021/22 season will see the Wingmakers bounce back to the Cymru Premier division under the guidance of manager Steve O’Shaughnessy.”

Were you aware of Airbus UK Broughton FC? Perhaps you’ve even seen ‘the wingmakers’ play? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Source: https://simpleflying.com/airbus-football-team/

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