Shorts: Sports Interactive, Molly Bartrip, Scottish Rugby

The SPFL has agreed a four-year extension to its licensing partnership with Sports Interactive, the studio behind Football Manager.

The new agreement will run until the end of the 2028/29 season on improved terms. The deal ensures all 42 SPFL clubs will continue to be fully licensed within the football simulation game, with official logos, kits and player photos featured across all versions of Football Manager 26, which launches from 4th November.

Data from the most recent FM24 game shows that over 1.4m saves have been started with SPFL sides, with 1.8m SPFL trophies won by players. This includes 400k cups and 1.4m league titles.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL Group chief executive, said, “We know fans across the country love the Football Manager series, so it’s great to confirm a longer-term partnership with Sports Interactive to continue our involvement in the game until at least season 2028/29. Football Manager has a truly global following, which gives us a fantastic platform to continue to showcase Scottish football and our competitions to its millions of players worldwide.”

Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive Studio Director, said, “We’re delighted to have extended our long-running partnership with the SPFL. As the data shows, the Scottish leagues are some of the most popular in our games and we look forward to seeing that continue with our latest release, FM26, and beyond.”

Tottenham Hotspur defender and vice-captain Molly Bartrip has become an ambassador for Bloomsbury Football.

The partnership follows the launch of Bloomsbury Football’s Girls Strategy, which commits to providing equal access for girls and sets a target of getting 10,000 girls playing football each week by 2028. The charity, founded in 2018, currently supports more than 6,000 young people weekly, with 35% of participants being girls.

Bartrip, who has been vocal about mental health awareness in sport, will support Bloomsbury’s programmes across the season, including its Academy, all-ability sessions and Disability Football initiatives. As part of her role, she will attend six sessions across the year, beginning with the ‘Train with a WSL Player’ session, where 40 girls will take part in training and hear about her experience playing in the Women’s Super League.

Bloomsbury Football delivers accessible football programmes for children across London, with a focus on inclusion, wellbeing and social impact.

Molly Bartrip said, “Attending my first Bloomsbury Football session last April confirmed for me firsthand the positive impact football has on young people’s lives. Playing regular football and being part of a team had such a positive impact on my mental wellbeing, which is why I feel so closely aligned with Bloomsbury’s mission to make football accessible to all. I’m so excited to continue partnering with the charity, and to empower girls to belong, both on and off the pitch.” 

Charlie Hyman, Founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football, said, “We’re thrilled to have Molly on board as an ambassador, she is a powerful advocate for equal access in women’s football and has already done so much to advance the game forward and open up conversations about mental health, girls’ participation and breaking down barriers.

“It’s great to have someone on board who so closely aligns with our values and we’re looking forward to seeing her at many more sessions across the course of the season.”

Scottish Rugby have appointed Red Tiger Marketing to support the development and delivery of its partnership strategy, working to expand commercial opportunities across sponsorship, partnerships and fan engagement.

The agreement will see Red Tiger collaborate with Scottish Rugby’s commercial team, led by Chief Customer Officer Olaf Gueldner, to identify and develop new revenue streams.

Scottish Rugby manages the commercial operations of the Scotland men’s and women’s national teams, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, and United Rugby Championship teams Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby. It also oversees the community game, player development pathway and high-performance centre.

The governing body continues to build on its position as one of the leading rights holders in UK sport, aiming to increase revenues to support investment across the professional and grassroots levels of rugby in Scotland.

Olaf Gueldner, Chief Commercial Officer at Scottish Rugby, said, “We’re proud of the strength and breadth of our commercial platform, built through long-term relationships and a loyal fanbase. Partnering with Red Tiger brings additional strategic insight and market reach as we continue to evolve our offering, open up new revenue streams and grow the game in Scotland.”

Laurence Miller, Managing Director of Red Tiger Marketing, said, “We’re delighted to be joining forces with such a great sporting institution. Scottish Rugby has built an incredibly strong platform, and we look forward to using our data, insight and technology-led processes to add real value and help drive continued growth.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s Disability team have extended its front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Nuffield Health into a third season.

The UK’s largest healthcare charity has been a supporter of the disability squad for the last two years and will continue its investment, which is in addition to its role as a pack patron of the Wolves Foundation.

Wolves Disability FC have grown to a squad of approximately 80 players across eight different teams, from under-12s to adults, who compete in the Staffordshire Ability Counts League.

Charlie Cooper, director of operations at Nuffield Health in Wolverhampton, said, “We’re immensely proud to continue our sponsorship of Wolves Disability FC, a group who continue to demonstrate their passion and dedication across their respective teams.

“We’re delighted to be able to play a small part in support of these great teams. We felt privileged to be present at the recent launch of the Wolves Foundations’ five- year strategy and look forward to supporting wherever we can, as we work collaboratively to build a better and healthier Wolverhampton.”

Kieron Ansell, Head of Business Development at Wolves Foundation, added, “Nuffield Health have been such great supporters of the work of Wolves Foundation, both in their role as Pack Patrons, and with this fantastic support of Wolves Disability FC. They are an invaluable partner organisation who not only provide investment to support Foundation projects, but also take such a keen interest in finding out more and raising awareness of such a wide range of activities which our staff deliver.”

Stevenage FC have launched a new accelerator programme designed to support and develop startups in the football industry.

The EFL League One club is seeking to identify and partner with companies working in areas such as fan engagement, player performance technology, and stadium operations. The initiative will provide successful applicants with mentorship from the club’s leadership, access to its network, and a potential pathway for pilot projects.

The programme aims to help the club stay at the forefront of technological advancements within the sport, while offering a platform for entrepreneurs to test and scale their products in a live football environment.

Alex Tunbridge, CEO, Stevenage FC, said, “We are incredibly excited to launch this accelerator. Football is constantly evolving, and by embracing innovation and supporting the brightest minds in the industry, we can stay ahead of the curve and create a better experience for our fans, players, and partners. This is a fantastic opportunity for bold founders to make a real impact on the game.”