Shorts: Norwich City, London City, Worcestershire CCC
Norwich City have signed a sleeve sponsorship deal with independent food brand Willy’s Pies for the 2025/26 season.
The partnership will see the East London-based pie brand’s logo feature on the sleeve of the men’s first team kit.
As part of the agreement, Willy’s Pies will also be available for purchase in all concourse kiosks at Carrow Road on matchdays. The three flavours available will be Beef Mince & Westcombe Cheddar, Roast Chicken, Sage & Onion, and Curried Potato, Pea & Mango Chutney.
The deal was launched with a video titled From East London to East Anglia, featuring Norwich City club legend Grant Holt.
Willy’s Pies was founded by furloughed chef Will Lewis during the 2020 lockdown and has previously established a presence in football, with its products sold at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and former player Ian Wright listed as an investor.
The partnership was brokered by WeAreNinety.
Ed Turnham, Norwich City head of commercial, added, “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Willy’s Pies to the Norwich City family as our new official sleeve partner. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gotten to know Will and Josh really well, and it was clear from our first meeting, that their passion for quality, flavour and storytelling – the ingredients that have made their pies such a hit at Arsenal, Fulham and beyond – align perfectly with the values we hold dear at the club.
“This partnership not only brings something exciting and different to our matchday food offering, but also strengthens our ambition to collaborate with bold, innovative and creative brands. With their pies available across Carrow Road on matchdays, we can’t wait for our supporters to get a taste of what they’ve been cooking up in East London this season.“
Worcestershire County Cricket Club have appointed sponsorship agency Reg&Partners to source new partners for the 2026 season and beyond.
The deal will see the agency support the club across all teams and cricket formats, including T20, One Day, and County Championship cricket, working alongside the club’s Commercial Director, Joe Tromans.
Promoted back into the first division in 2023, the club has a social media following of around 350,000 with a reach of over 215m across its platforms. Worcestershire have also seen a 20% increase in members and season ticket holders in the last 12 months.
With its New Road ground holding up to 5,500 spectators, the club is seeking sponsors that share its ethos of ‘cricketing excellence and profound community engagement’. Approximately 70-75% of the club’s supporters are from Worcestershire and the West Midlands, presenting an opportunity for local businesses.
Joe Tromans, Commercial Director, Worcestershire County Cricket Club, commented, “Modern partnerships is about so much more than just a logo on a shirt, it’s about shared values, aligned audiences, and authentic engagement. At Worcestershire, we’ve always been proud of our deep-rooted connections and rich cricketing heritage, but we’re equally focused on driving innovation and long-term value for our partners.
“This collaboration with Reg&Partners marks the next step in our evolution, as we work to build meaningful partnerships that go beyond the boundary ropes and deliver impact both locally and nationally”
London City Lionesses have appointed Martin Semmens as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer, ahead of first season in the Women’s Super League.
Semmens has a track record in football leadership, having previously served as CEO of Southampton FC and most recently as CEO of Krause Group Soccer. His experience includes delivering promotion with Parma and driving development programmes at Southampton.
He will work alongside Managing Director Sarah Batters and the wider Kynisca team to lead the club’s growth. His arrival follows a summer for London City, which has included a new Nike partnership and the signing of 10 international players such as Daniëlle van de Donk and Nikita Parris.
Michele Kang, Owner, London City and Founder and CEO, Kynisca, said, “Martin will bring enormous experience to London City which will help create a high-performance culture, grow our commercial opportunities, expand our fan base and cement our long-term future in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
“Martin shares our Kynisca values to grow the women’s game, and I am really looking forward to working with him as we enter a truly exciting moment on our London City journey, both at our stadium and with the development of our state-of-the-art training centre”.
Martin Semmens said, “I’m excited to be joining London City at this key moment in the Club’s journey. What Michele, Kynisca and her excellent operational team at London City have built is phenomenal and really demonstrates the potential of women’s football. I am really looking forward to the season ahead and putting the operation in place to enable success on the pitch”.
Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 has named SharkNinja as its official consumer appliance partner.
The partnership will see the global product design company provide players and Emirates Match Officials with a range of its products, including Ninja FrostVault coolers, Shark Fans, and Shark Beauty styling tools to enhance their match day experience.
The brand will also run activations for supporters at match venues and at the official Fan Zone, where fans can experience the products. A dedicated social media content series will also be launched, featuring personalities and focusing on match day preparations for the tournament.
Sarah Massey, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Managing Director, said, “It’s a pleasure to welcome SharkNinja as the Official Consumer Appliance partner for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. This collaboration goes beyond traditional sponsorship, integrating innovative and practical products directly into the tournament.
“From supporting our players, to engaging fans in exciting new ways, we look forward to working with SharkNinja as we continue to enhance the overall experience for all involved in the tournament.”
Charlton Athletic have agreed a new six-figure, multi-year partnership with British mechanical watch brand Christopher Ward.
The deal will see Christopher Ward become the club’s official time and sleeve partner, with its logo to be displayed on the sleeve of the men’s first-team shirt. The partnership has been signed ahead of the club’s return to the Sky Bet Championship.
Founded in 2004, Christopher Ward is a British-designed, Swiss-made watch brand that launched as an online-exclusive retailer. The brand’s logo will make its debut on the Charlton kit this Saturday for the Addicks’ home opener against Watford.
Alice Larkworthy, Commercial Director, Charlton Athletic, said, “We’re thrilled to announce this partnership. It’s a testament to where we are as a club and the ambition we have moving forward that we’re in a position to partner with Christopher Ward, a growing international brand.
“Christopher Ward are joining us at an exciting time for the club, ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship. They have some really interesting plans for the partnership, which we think our fans will enjoy, so we’re looking forward to working closely with them.”
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has announced a record total of over £12.5m in player compensation was on offer during the 2024-25 season.
The total figure represents an 18.4% increase on the previous campaign and comes after the first season of the new PSA Squash Tour structure, which was developed ahead of the sport’s debut at the LA28 Olympic Games.
The 2024-25 season saw a record 1,019 sanctioned tournaments held across 70 countries, with Sri Lanka hosting an event for the first time. Player compensation at women’s events totalled $5.9m, an increase of 22.3%, while men’s compensation came to $6.6m, up 15.1%.
World No.1 Nouran Gohar was the top earning female player with £400,045, while Mostafa Asal was the highest-earning male with £400,686. The average earnings for the top 10 ranked men and women saw a 13% increase to £183,734.
Alex Gough, PSA Chief Executive, said, “The 2024-25 campaign was one of the most competitive and exciting seasons in living memory and brought about record figures in terms of player compensation and sanctioned events.
“It is especially rewarding to see that both the male and female World No.1s earned almost identical prize money over the season, which is a truly unique milestone that reflects our continued commitment to equality across the sport. The future is incredibly bright for professional squash and the 2025-26 season promises to bring even more landmark moments for our sport.”
Sport England has partnered with The Active Pregnancy Foundation (APF), investing over £250,000 of National Lottery funding to help expectant and new mothers be more physically active.
The partnership will focus on breaking down barriers for women living with disabilities, facing mental health challenges, or at risk of long-term health conditions. This aligns with Sport England’s 10-year strategy, Uniting the Movement, which aims to ensure everyone has the opportunity to be active.
Pregnant and post-natal women are one of the least active groups, despite evidence showing physical activity can reduce the risk of complications like gestational diabetes and post-natal depression by as much as 67%.
The announcement marks a strengthening of the relationship between the two organisations, which have previously collaborated on initiatives including This Mum Moves and Active Mums Start with You.
Joanne Cound, Head of Investment, Sport England, said, “We’re proud to partner with The Active Pregnancy Foundation. This partnership will make an enormous impact – not just to individual women’s lives, but to the wider system supporting maternal health and physical activity.”
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