Communications giant extends commercial links with Salford City FC
TalkTalk has extended its partnership with Salford City FC to include the Salford City Lionesses for the 2020/21 season.
At a time when women’s football is making headlines through the appointment of Sarina Wiegman as the next England Women’s head coach, Salford-based communication group TalkTalk’s decision to become lead sponsor of every senior team at Salford City FC reflects the connectivity provider’s efforts to champion inclusivity and diversity at a local level, it said.
Salford City FC will also be showing its support for the Kick It Out initiative across the season, whose logo will feature on the back of all shirts to champion English football’s equality and inclusion commitment.
A rainbow version of TalkTalk’s logo also features on the team’s away kit to demonstrate both TalkTalk and Salford City FC’s support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The news comes ahead of a monumental season for the club.
The men’s first team are fancied as promotion contenders in League Two in only their second ever season in the Football League, while the Lionesses have been accepted into the Women’s FA Cup for the first time.
Salford City owner, former England player and England Women’s manager, Phil Neville, said: “We are thrilled to be extending our sponsorship with TalkTalk to include the Salford City Lionesses, as they’re a vital part of the club.
“This partnership demonstrates both Salford City FC and TalkTalk’s commitment to women’s football, diversity and inclusion within the sport. We look forward to seeing what this season brings for the Lionesses.”
As part of the sponsorship, which runs until the end of the 2023/24 season, TalkTalk will have brand visibility across all televised matches, the stadium’s media hub, matchday programmes, and display the front of shirt mark for both the men’s and women’s teams.
Fans saw the men’s team play for the first time this season in their new shirts last Saturday in a match against Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup, which Salford won 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time, earning them an away tie with Everton in the next round next Wednesday, September 16.
The Lionesses first game is set to be at Morecambe on Sunday, September 20, in the Women’s FA Cup preliminary round.
Ben Cooper, head of brand, TalkTalk said: “We are extremely excited to be extending our contract to become the official sponsor of the Salford City Lionesses.
“There is a lot of synergy with Salford City FC and Salford City Lionesses, not least because of our shared challenger spirit. Extending our partnership with the club allows us to continue demonstrating our support for the local community which we are proud to be a part of.”
Karen Baird, chairman, Salford City FC, said: “TalkTalk are one of the UK’s leading telecommunications companies so we are delighted that they have decided to expand their involvement with the club by becoming front of shirt sponsor for the men’s team and the Lionesses.
“We welcomed TalkTalk to the club ahead of their move to Salford Quays last year, and after an enjoyable first season we are looking forward to working with them for longer across more areas of the Club.”
The commercial team at Manchester law firm Kuits advised Salford City FC on the agreement.
