Shorts: Burnley FC, Harlequins, London Marathon
Burnley FC have named Batch LDN as their official formalwear supplier for the 2025/26 Premier League season.
As part of the agreement, the Clarets’ first team squad will wear Batch LDN’s Navy Herringbone casual suit, paired with the brand’s signature cotton shirt, for their arrival at all home games at Turf Moor. The deal marks a move away from traditional tracksuits for the club’s matchday arrivals, with the team debuting the new look ahead of their Premier League fixture against Liverpool.
Each jacket will feature a Visit Detroit logo stitched onto the pocket next to a gold Burnley pin, acknowledging the club’s partnership with the US city’s tourism body. The collaboration will also be featured in *Keeping The Faith*, a new X Originals content series following Burnley’s return to the Premier League.
Julian Osborne, Co-founder, Batch LDN, said, “It’s been a fascinating 12 months, as we’ve navigated around a number of Premier League opportunities. However, the partnership with Burnley excited us most. A big decision from Burnley alongside the gaffer, Scott Parker. Scott doesn’t want the boys arriving in suits. He wants his team to arrive in Batch.”
Harlequins has secured a multi-year agreement with AccountsIQ to become the club’s official data and insights partner.
Under the partnership, AccountsIQ will have naming rights to the club’s West Stand, coaches’ gantry, and laptops for the 2025/2026 season. The AccountsIQ Stand will serve as a hub for data analysis, insights, and decision-making across the club.
The partnership includes data-driven content series such as AIQ Match Insights, Preview, and Coaches’ Ledger, designed to provide information on team performance and club operations. AccountsIQ provides a cloud accounting platform that automates data entry and consolidates multi-entry accounts, supporting both business and operational decision-making.
The TWR Stoop, home to Harlequins, has hosted Premiership Rugby matches since 1963.
Harlequins Chief Executive Officer, Laurie Dalrymple said, “We’re delighted to welcome AccountsIQ to the Harlequins family ahead of the new season as data and insights partner and the title sponsor of the West Stand at The Stoop.
“AccountsIQ shares our commitment to using clear insights to drive progress both in our sporting performance and how the club operates as a business, and the new AccountsIQ Stand will serve as a physical and digital hub for that activity for this season and beyond.”
The 2025/2026 Premiership Rugby season will begin later this month.
London Marathon has appointed Heather McCormick as Group Communications and Public Affairs Director and Guy Fowles as Marketing Director.
London Marathon Events, organiser of the annual TCS London Marathon and other mass-participation events, has appointed Heather McCormick to lead communications and public affairs and Guy Fowles to lead marketing. The appointments also cover the London Marathon Foundation, the charity set up in 1981 to distribute surplus from the event to community projects.
McCormick joins from Guardian News & Media, where she was Director of External Communications. She has previously held senior communications roles at the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Lumos Foundation and the Youth Sport Trust.
Fowles was previously Managing Director at Wasteland Travel, a winter sports operator, and has held senior marketing roles with Intrepid Travel, Penguin Books and the National Literacy Trust.
The TCS London Marathon is one of the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising events, raising more than £1 billion for charity since 1981. The 2025 edition will take place on Sunday 27 April.
Nick Bitel, CEO of London Marathon Group, said,“We are delighted to have Heather and Guy on board to lead communications, public affairs and marketing strategy. They have the energy and experience to drive key priorities for both our events business and our Foundation, as we continue to build our visibility and impact across the UK and globally.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has appointed former England international Georgia Elwiss as its new Vice Chair.
Elwiss will take up the position on the PCA Board, supporting Chair Olly Hannon-Dalby alongside Derbyshire’s Anuj Dal, who continues as Vice Chair for the men’s game. Elwiss, who plays for The Blaze, takes over the role from former England captain Heather Knight, who stepped down in May after five years in the position.
Capped 54 times for England, Elwiss has been involved with the PCA for several years, contributing to the creation of the England Women’s Player Partnership (EWPP) and serving as a PCA Representative and an Inclusion Champion.
Georgia Elwiss, Vice Chair, PCA, said, “In my opinion to be ratified by my fellow peers is one of the biggest honours you can receive and I hope that I can do them justice and do a good job and take their views forward to make some meaningful change, which starts now.
“The game is almost unrecognisable from when I first started, that’s one of the things I’m proud of and as more women come into the game it’s important their views are represented and taken seriously. For a long time we were just grateful with what we were given but now it’s time to change that narrative and push for more and the best and being Vice Chair, I’m well placed to be able to do that.”
Global sports and entertainment agency 54 has launched Entourage, a new tech advisory and fan engagement platform designed for the sport sector.
The new hybrid business aims to help sports investors, rightsholders, federations, and clubs with digital transformation and commercial growth by blending strategic guidance with a modular technology platform.
Entourage combines shared infrastructure with customisable modules that clients can tailor to their needs. The initial modules include ‘Spend’ for card-linked loyalty, ‘Play’ for gamified participation, ‘Connect’ for community tools, and ‘Ignite’ for live event activation. The new venture is led by Managing Director, William Haxby, founder of the tech consultancy ‘Motley’, which has been absorbed into the new business.
The platform has already been deployed for the PIF Global Series events in London and Houston, with its first public deployment for a sports content creator set to launch in the coming weeks.
West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the appointment of Andrew Nestor as the club’s new President.
Nestor will oversee a restructured leadership team and manage all club functions, alongside his existing role as Sporting Director, which he assumed in the summer of 2024. The club have also announced the appointments of Ashish Patel as Chief Marketing Officer and Ethan Gobetz as Chief Financial Officer.
Nestor’s career in sport began more than 16 years ago with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he served as President, CEO and General Manager. He was also a key figure in the takeover of Italian side Bologna FC 1909, serving as a Director for two years. He is the co-founder of sports investment firm Cerro Capital.
New Chief Marketing Officer Ashish Patel, also a co-founder of Cerro Capital, has previously held senior roles at Group Nine Media and VICE, earning a place on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for Media. Ethan Gobetz brings more than 20 years’ experience in finance roles across the marketing, advertising and sports industries.
Andrew Nestor, President, added, “My previous experience in other clubs has taught me there is no replacement for strong alignment and good people – and at The Hawthorns we have exceptional staff who have even greater potential. I am excited about what can be achieved at this great club, and what we can add to Albion’s rich history.”
Real Madrid Femenino and Scotland footballer Caroline Weir has signed with athlete marketing agency WeAreNinety.
The agency will manage Weir’s off-field commercial strategy, brand partnerships, marketing, and media initiatives. Weir is Real Madrid Femenino’s all-time leading goalscorer and Scotland’s most decorated female footballer.
The partnership will build on the visibility from the recent Scottish FA-produced documentary, Galáctica, which highlights Weir’s career. WeAreNinety will use the storytelling from the film to create campaigns with brand partners.
Coventry Rugby have extended their main club sponsorship deal with Coventry-based business Sapphire Louvres for the 2025/26 season.
As part of the agreement, the louvre systems specialist will continue to have its logo featured on the sleeve of the club’s home and away match kits. The brand will also benefit from pitch-side advertising at Butts Park Arena.
Matt Cannon, General Manager at Coventry Rugby, said, “We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Sapphire Louvres for their continued support of Coventry Rugby. Their sponsorship for another year – proudly featured on both our home and away kits – along with their presence in hospitality and involvement across all club events, is a testament to their commitment to the club. Partnerships like this are vital to our growth and success, and we’re proud to have Sapphire Louvres as part of Coventry Rugby.”
Welsh rugby union side Scarlets have named HCR Law as the headline sponsor of its Business Lunch series.
The partnership was officially launched at the opening event of the season.
The series provides an opportunity for members of the club’s commercial network to connect, hear from prominent local leaders, and receive exclusive updates from within the club.
Garan Evans, Head of Commercial, Scarlets, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome HCR Law as the headline sponsor of our Business Lunch series. These events are about bringing people together, building relationships and providing real value for our partners. To have an organisation like HCR Law on board underlines the growing profile of the series and we’re excited about what we can achieve together this season.”
Catering partner Levy has announced a new partnership with Dragons’ Den-backed Kitt Medical to enhance allergy care standards across its UK venues.
The deal will see Levy, which operates in the sports and entertainment sector, implement Kitt Medical’s Anaphylaxis Kitts across its sites, becoming the first UK catering partner to do so.
The kits will provide a safety net for staff and guests, allowing trained Levy employees to legally administer adrenaline in the event of an anaphylactic emergency. As part of the agreement, key staff will receive CPD-accredited training, and the kits will be monitored to ensure adrenaline pens are replaced before expiry.
David Crowe, HSE Director at Levy, said, “The well-being of our colleagues is our absolute priority. Our partnership with Kitt Medical is a significant step forward in our comprehensive health and safety strategy. By providing our teams with these vital Anaphylaxis Kitts and the necessary training, we are empowering them to respond effectively in critical situations, ultimately creating a safer environment in our venues.”
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