Shorts: Birmingham City, Georgia Hall, SailGP

English Football League (EFL) Championship football club Birmingham City has confirmed details of a takeover deal which will see a group led by US businessman Tom Wagner assume ownership of the club.

Blues’ current owners Birmingham Sports Holdings Ltd (BHSL) had announced it had entered a period of exclusivity in order to finalise a sale for both club and the stadium.

In a new statement released by the club, it confirmed that BSHL will transfer 24% of the shares in Birmingham City PLC to Shelby Companies Limited, managed by Wagner, while Oriental Rainbow Investments Limited and Achiever Global Group Limited will also transfer 21.64% of the shares in Birmingham City PLC. The 100% of the shares in Birmingham City Stadium Limited will be transferred to Shelby Companies Limited.

The statement read, ‘After the transfer of shares Shelby Companies Limited will own 45.64% of Birmingham City PLC and all of the St. Andrews Stadium.

‘Shelby Companies Limited is a subsidiary of Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company, and managed by American financier, Tom Wagner. Both SPAs are subject to approval from both the English Football League (EFL) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

‘Birmingham City will remain under the control of the current Board until the relevant Owners and Directors Tests (OADT) have been approved by the EFL and after the completion of the contracts.’

Digital camera manufacturer Nikon has signed British professional golfer Georgia Hall as its first global ambassador for its range of sports optics products.

As part of the partnership, Hall will use the company’s Coolshot Proii Stabilized Laser Rangefinder to measure her distances during practice rounds and assisting with her club selection.

Currently 9th in the world rankings, Hall’s resume includes winning the Women’s British Open in 2018 and being on three European Solheim Cup sides, with wins in 2019 and 2021.

Hall commented, “I am incredibly honoured to be an ambassador for Nikon. The Coolshot Proii has really provided me with that extra edge, unlocking a whole new range of possibilities. Not only is it incredibly fast and accurate, making it easy to find and lock onto your target, but it also eliminates shaking which is such a game changer. The combination of all these factors makes it, in my opinion, the best rangefinder on the market.”

Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL has been named Impact League champions at the Mubadala SailGP Season 3 Grand Final in San Francisco.

Pete Burling’s New Zealand finished just five points behind in second and Ben Ainslie’s Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team placed third.

Introduced in Season 2, the Impact League is a second leaderboard which runs alongside the SailGP Season Championship and tracks the positive actions teams take to reduce their overall footprint and accelerate inclusivity in sailing.

British football brand Mitre has been named the official match ball supplier of The Soccer Tournament.

The new pre-season tournament set to take place in the US in June will see 32 teams from across the globe, including representation from the UK, Europe, and Asia, all competing in the 7v7 knockout competition with a $1m prize.

Teams from the UK including Wrexham Red Dragons, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Simon Rowe, VP Global Sports Marketing, Mitre, said, “We’re thrilled that the Mitre Ultimax Pro will be the official match ball for The Soccer Tournament! It’s a new and disruptive competition, and we’re excited to be at the heart of it in its inaugural year.”

English Football League (EFL) Two football club Barrow AFC has announced The Terrace and Cumbria Roofing Ulverston as new club shirt partners for the 2023/24 season.

The Terrace will see its branding appear on the front of its home and away shirts, alongside being a principal partner for the club’s retail operations.

Carl Sewell & Paul Towers, The Terrace co-directors, said, “It’s a pleasure to put our support behind Barrow next season as the club’s new principal partner, whilst also supporting the club with retail development via our retail operations services. As directors we are extremely excited to connect with fans as we begin our first ever front of shirt sponsorship in the EFL.”