Shorts: Liverpool, Castore, Barnsley

Liverpool FC will open the new Anfield Road Stand upper tier for the first time this Sunday, welcoming a record-breaking 57,000 fans.

The Reds were granted all necessary health and safety licences from Liverpool City Council following a successful test event on Monday night.

Liverpool FC hope that 61,000 fans will be able to watch the Reds when all stadium upgrades are completed. 

Paul Cuttill, Vice President of Stadium Operations, said, “This is fantastic news and testament to the sheer hard work and commitment that all involved in this complex project have put in.

“We were forced to revise on construction schedules after Buckingham went into administration in September and thought we wouldn’t be able to open the upper tier until January.

“So to find ourselves ahead of that schedule is great, a real credit to all involved. The priority has always been to get fans into the upper tier safely and as soon as possible. We must thank all those fans who attended our test event on Monday evening to make this possible.

“Now we can’t wait to welcome those 57,000 fans to Anfield and see the new upper tier of the Anfield Road Stand come alive on matchday.”

Manchester-based sportwear brand Castore has agreed a new partnership with US motor racing organisation Hendrick Motorsports.

Hendrick Motorsports, which fields four full time Chevrolet teams on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, with drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman, will be kitted out by Castore as part of the new deal.

The partnership strengthens Castore’s position in motorsport, holding existing partnerships with McLaren Automotive, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Silverstone, Repsol Honda Team and McLaren F1.

The new partnership is also one of Castore’s biggest US partnerships to date, which is has sescribed as an opportunity to expand ‘the brand’s presence across the pond.’

Tom Beahon, Co-Founder at Castore, said, “We are beyond delighted to announce our partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports not only have a constant ambition to be the best, but they also match our own desires to challenge sports at the elite level through technical perseverance.

“Castore is developing an ever growing presence within motorsports, partnering with some of the highest profile teams across the world – we are incredibly proud to partner with another hugely successful team in NASCAR.”

London-based sports marketing agency B-Engaged has appointed Michelle Tierney as its new Chief Revenue Officer.

Tierney, who has experience in the sports and gaming industries, joins after a 14-year tenure in Arsenal FC’s partnerships team and more recently as Chief Commercial Officer at Guild Esports.

Ehsen Shah, CEO of B-Engaged, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Michelle as our new Chief Revenue Officer. Having worked with Michelle over the years from her time at Arsenal and Guild, I know the direction we can take with Michelle’s strategic vision and understanding of the market space, and we will be able to continue our rapid growth and strengthen our position in the industry.”

EFL League One football club Barnsley has announced a three-year partnership with Burrows Motor Company. 

Jon Flatman, Interim Chief Executive Officer at Barnsley FC, said, “We are extremely pleased to agree a multi-year deal with Burrows to extend a long-standing partnership with a local, Barnsley business.  

“Burrows provide a quality service in our town and we are proud to wear their logo on our trainingwear and for the Burrows brand to be a visible presence at Oakwell.”