Newborns welcomed with football club 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.

"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.

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".