Declan Harte
A Scottish university is to become the first in the UK to offer a professional football scholarship.
Stirling University has teamed up with Falkirk FC to allow talented young players to combine playing football with studying for a degree.
Scholarship players will receive up to £2500 each year of their degree course, which will be put towards the cost of essentials such as accommodation and equipment.
The scholarships have been named after Craig Gowans, the 17-year-old Falkirk player who died in June 2005 after he was electrocuted by an overhead powerline when equipment he was carrying for a training session came into contact with power cables.
George Craig, managing director of Falkirk FC said: "The scholarships represent a fantastic opportunity for players to use their brains as well as their feet in developing a career."
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