Shorts: Salford City, Kansas City Chiefs, British Triathlon

Salford City FC have appointed former Manchester United executive Ronan Joyce as the club’s new Chief Business Officer.

Joyce joins from Manchester United, where he led digital growth and innovation strategies. In his new role, his remit will span the full breadth of the club’s commercial operations, uniting partnerships, media, retail, and matchday strategy. He brings more than a decade of commercial leadership experience, having previously spent over eight years at Meta.

The appointment marks another step in Salford City’s mission to build ‘the best small club in the world’. The club has recently secured deals with AIG, Coca-Cola, and DreamSetGo, driven by co-owner Consello’s relationships with marquee brands.

Ronan Joyce said, “I’m thrilled to be joining Salford City at such a pivotal moment in the Club’s journey. The opportunity to help shape the commercial strategy of such a forward-thinking and ambitious club is incredibly exciting. Together with our leadership group, I look forward to building a team and culture that delivers for our fans, our partners, and the wider community.”

Gary Neville, co-owner of Salford City FC, commented, “From day one, our mission has been clear—to build the best small club in the world. Bringing Ronan on board is another big step towards that vision. His experience at the very highest level of football and technology gives us the tools to grow sustainably and continue creating something that our fans and the city of Salford can be proud of.”

The Kansas City Chiefs have unveiled a new mascot for the British market, KC Wolfington.

The new mascot is designed to represent the team across the United Kingdom and is part of a wider European expansion which saw three other market-specific mascots launched at the same time.

Based on the Eurasian Wolf, KC Wolfington has a different appearance to the team’s long-standing American mascot, KC Wolf. The British version is described as having a sleeker body and a personality defined by cheeky charm and sharp banter to connect with UK fans.

The launch comes as the Chiefs look to build on their international marketing rights, which allow them to activate around every game in the NFL’s 2025 international slate. Fans have been told to stay tuned for KC Wolfington’s inaugural appearance in the United Kingdom this autumn.

Lara Krug, Chiefs EVP and Chief Media & Marketing Officer, said, “KC Wolf has long been a beloved part of our fan experience, and now we’re excited to expand that tradition with a global twist.

“Our new European wolf pack is more than just mascots – they’re a celebration of culture, connection, and the Chiefs commitment to building community across borders in a way that’s fun, authentic, and uniquely tied to each market.”

British Triathlon has signed a three-year partnership with high-performance skin protection brand, LifeJacket Skin Protection.

The deal will see LifeJacket become the governing body’s official skin protection partner, supporting its Olympic and Paralympic World Class Programme athletes, coaches and staff.

The partnership aims to protect them from extended exposure to the sun and other elements during training and competition.

Working in collaboration, the two organisations will also raise awareness and educate the wider triathlon community on the importance of skin health and daily skin protection. LifeJacket’s mission is to halt the increase of skin cancer by helping people understand the risks of skin damage.

Mike Cavendish, Performance Director of British Triathlon, said, “Triathlon is predominantly an outdoors sport with athletes and participants constantly exposed to the elements during training and in races.

“Partnering with LifeJacket allows us to provide our athletes and members with world-class skin protection, while also empowering them with knowledge and awareness that will last a lifetime. This is about looking after the person, not just the performance, and we’re delighted to welcome LifeJacket into the British Triathlon family.”

Specialist sport PR and comms agency Soapbox has appointed Daniel Apostolos as its new Senior Account Director.

Apostolos joins from The PHA Group where he spent over 13 years, working with rights holders and governing bodies such as UFC, Bellator MMA, Red Bull, British Rowing, and a number of Premier League and WSL clubs.

In his new role, Apostolos will work with the agency’s senior team to expand its roster of rights holder clients across sport, culture, and entertainment.

The appointment follows a period of growth for Soapbox, who worked with the Sport Industry Group on the Sport Industry Awards and has recently won accounts including FormulaE and Red Bull.

Andy Bell, Managing Director at Soapbox, said, “We are delighted to welcome Dan to the team. He brings a wealth of experience in both media relations and team leadership. The business is going through an accelerated period of growth with record financial results, and with it, significant team expansion. We are committed to providing our clients best in class service, and Dan is a major part of our next phase.”

Daniel Apostolos, Senior Account Director at Soapbox, added, “I’m excited to join Soapbox at such an exciting time for the agency. The energy, enthusiasm and experience already in the building is highly impressive, and I’m looking forward to working with the team as we continue to grow.”

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has renewed its partnership with Off The Pitch for a second consecutive year.

The agreement will see all SPFL and Scottish Women’s Premier League clubs continue to receive essential business insights and industry intelligence via Off The Pitch’s daily newsletter.

The partnership is designed to keep the clubs fully informed of business developments across European football, helping them to navigate an ever-changing landscape and identify new opportunities both domestically and globally.

The SPFL aims to use the intelligence provided to support its clubs and drive innovative projects throughout Scottish football.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL group chief executive, said, “There is no denying that football continues to move forward rapidly and we want to make sure our clubs have the best available business critical intelligence daily to help them stay ahead of the curve. Off The Pitch has proven over the last few seasons to be the ideal partner for the league in tackling this objective.

“We see so many global stakeholders coming into the game, whether it’s financial institutions, owners or corporate brands, and as a league we need to understand what is happening around the world, while also analysing and investigating business opportunities domestically and globally. Off The Pitch delivers a fantastic overview every morning.”

SuperNutrio has activated its first major sponsorship as the official protein milk sponsor of the AJ Bell Great North Run 2025.

The partnership marked a significant step for the Yorkshire-based brand, which launched in 2024.

As part of the activation, SuperNutrio had a presence in the event village, offering samples to thousands of attendees at the world’s largest half marathon. The brand also hosted interactive smoothie bikes, allowing runners and spectators to blend their own protein smoothies.

In addition to the on-site activation, SuperNutrio sponsored five runners, providing them with a supply of its high-protein milk to support their training and recovery ahead of the event.

Bill Randles, Managing Director at SuperNutrio, said, “Being part of the AJ Bell Great North Run was a fantastic milestone for SuperNutrio, and the atmosphere on the day was truly inspiring.

“We can’t wait to continue to follow them on their running journeys, and hope everyone that crossed that finish line feels incredibly proud of themselves.“

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