Weekender: Businesses secure sports partnerships
Sheffield United FC has announced that Ramsdens will become the club’s new principal partner for the forthcoming 2018/19 campaign.
The Ramsdens Currency logo will take pride of place on the front of all the men’s first-team Adidas kits for the forthcoming season, as well as all retail replica shirts.
Ramsdens has signed an initial six figure one-year term with the option to extend for a further season. Fans will recognise the brand from the long-standing relationship with Middlesbrough FC, who they will continue to partner with as the back of shirt sponsor.
The first Ramsdens branch opened in 1987 in Stockton-on-Tees and the company now boasts more than 130 branches including two shops in Sheffield as well as surrounding towns.
The public company specialises in jewellery retailing and foreign currency exchange. In the last financial year, it served over 680,000 customers for their holiday money and exchanged close to £½ bn.
Ramsdens Chief Executive Peter Kenyon said: “We are very proud of this new partnership. Sheffield is a huge city where football is very much part of the local community. That, coupled with the continued development of the City, made this a really exciting opportunity to explore. We are very much looking forward to working with the Club to promote the Ramsdens brand and increase customer recognition of our fantastic currency exchange offering.”
Sheffield United Head of Commercial Paul Reeves added: “We have worked extremely hard to secure this new commercial partnership. Ramsdens is a business that has seen significant growth over recent years and matches the Club with their ambitious plans for the future. We look forward to developing a successful relationship with Peter and his team.”
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Yorkshire homebuilder Avant Homes’ has partnered with Sheffield Tigers RUFC.
The RFU National 2 North club is based in Dore Moor and has been enjoying a successful season at senior level. The club also runs veteran, junior and mini teams.
Housebuilder Avant Homes has agreed a sponsorship deal with the club, which includes pitch side advertising, as well as in the clubhouse and front entrance. The deal will help to continue to support the work of Sheffield Tigers in providing facilities and coaching for all players.
Roger Cordery, business manager at Sheffield Tigers RUFC, said: “After achieving our goal and finishing mid table last season we are now looking forward next season having retained our existing squad and about to reveal shortly some exciting new players.”
“The support from Avant Homes will allow us to continue making progress on and off the field and help contribute to continuing to develop our young players and ensuring the club remains a key part of the local community.”
The club was formed in 1932/33 and has been based at Dore Moor from the 1933/34 season.
Avant Homes Yorkshire managing director, Rob Slocombe, said: “We are delighted to be backing Sheffield Tigers this season. We are committed to developing communities in the areas where we build and a key part of this aim is assisting local clubs and groups like the Tigers to continue to thrive.”
Avant Homes Yorkshire currently has four developments in Sheffield, with Heartwood and The Brickworks in Stannington and Sorby Row and Sorby Village in Waverley.
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Brighouse-based card payment solutions provider, Yorkshire Payments, has announced it has signed a two-year deal to become the official training and travel wear sponsor at Bradford City Football Club.
The five-figure deal will see Yorkshire Payments become the League One club’s first ever training and travel wear sponsor.
Its branding will feature across the club’s first team training kit for the coming two seasons, as well as apparel worn for player travel and during pre-match warm up sessions.
Yorkshire Payments managing director, James Howard, said: “As a business with our roots firmly in Yorkshire, we’re committed to helping businesses across the county to thrive and contribute to the strengthening of our region’s economy by ensuring they can profit from the ever-increasing popularity of card payments in a way that’s much more cost effective than the high street banks.
“Our sponsorship of Bradford City is aligned with this way of thinking. We are proud to keep our investment within West Yorkshire to help to ensure that the club can continue to prosper, grow and generate both interest in, and footfall to, our region.”
James Mason, chief operating officer at Bradford City, added: “We have worked hard with James and his team to make this partnership work for both sides and we’re delighted to get it over the line. Our approach has always been to get to know our sponsors first and find out how we can both help each other.
“The two-year deal is a show of commitment and we are already looking at ways to work smarter with all our business operations. In the last few years we have seen the club introduce opportunities to sponsor the rear of the replica shirts, on the back of the shorts and now the first ever training and travel wear official sponsorship. Today’s news is another example of how we are trying to bring on board complimentary businesses that can work with all our commercial partners.”
