Bristol City captain Vicky Losada champions ‘The Sportswoman’ pub takeover in Bristol | OneFootball

Bristol City captain Vicky Losada has shown her support for a Bristol pub which was revamped to celebrate the growth of the women’s game.

The pub, originally named ‘The Sportsman’, was founded in 1892, and has a longstanding history with sports in the region. However, to celebrate the growing visibility of the women’s game, the pub decided to rebrand itself for a day.

Coinciding with Bristol City’s final home Women’s Super League 2 match of the season, the pub changed it’s name to ‘The Sportswoman’.

The rebrand comes following Gunniess’ partnership with Bristol City, where they are supporting local pubs, particularly female-owned ones.

Losada, who joined the club in 2024, admits the city now feels like home to her.

She said: “I think since day one, you could tell it was a family club — a bit different to all the places I’ve been before. They’ve also shown me how massive and important the community is for the club. Being part of the foundation also and just sharing things with people from Bristol.”

Increasing the visibility of women’s football

The former Barcelona captain regularly attends ‘The Sportsman’ and believes venues like this are becoming more inclusive for fans of women’s sport.

“It’s a process and I still think there’s things to improve,” Losada admitted. “But I was there the other day at The Sportswoman and it’s small steps but they make a massive difference.”

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Guinness has strived to increase the visibility of women’s sports in recent years. The brand notably became the first in three decades to sponsor kit through their work with Bristol City. Alongside this, they work closely with fan engagement and aim to enhance fan experiences through promotions and exclusive rewards.

Having the backing of a global brand is something which Losada and her fellow players cannot take for granted.

“It’s a massive brand, especially in this area. I think it’s massive for us that this time they’ve picked us,” the UEFA Women’s Champions League winner said.

“Probably not many people would’ve imagined that they were going to come to Bristol City Women and I think that shows the investment that women’s football is having now and since they [Guinness] got here you can see that.”

The Sportswoman

From inside the club the message is clear. It’s all about ‘giving visibility’ to women’s football so more fans will begin to take notice.

The sponsorship comes at a good time for WSL 2, which has reached new highs this season. With the expansion of the WSL, more eyes than ever have fallen to the second division to see which two, or potentially three teams will reach the top-flight.

What are Bristol City’s goals for next season?

Losada admits growing the connection with fans is ‘one of the objectives’ for next season. The club have seen steady attendance growth this season, reporting their largest crowd of the season in the final match against Newcastle United at Ashton Gate.

Alongside this, the club will also be pushing for promotion next season which ‘isn’t easy’, according the Losada. She admits she had the chance to stay in the WSL, but decided to drop down a tier to join a project with ambition for reaching the top level.

Her experience is not just welcome on the pitch, but also through her work with the club’s foundation.

“Football is an international language,” said the 35-year-old. “I think it’s massive that through sport you can be a mirror for people that might be struggling with things. I also think it’s our responsibility to be part of it [the foundation].”

Through revamping sports bars in community-driven areas like Bristol, Guinness is continuing to change the visibility of women’s football across the country.

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