Shorts: LIV Garfield, Stadion & Onefootball, Chelsea

London-headquartered sports marketing agency Two Circles has announced the appointment of Liv Garfield, the chief executive of water company Severn Trent, as the new Chair of its Board of Directors.  

Garfield became the youngest ever female FTSE 100 CEO when she joined the water company in 2014 and previous served as the CEO of telecommunications company Openreach.

At the start of the year, the multiple time Sport Industry Award-winning agency was acquired by British private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners (CCP) in a deal thought to be worth around £250m, according to Sky News.

On joining Two Circles, Garfield, said, “I am excited to join such a brilliant homegrown British business that has such truly global growth potential. Gareth and his team are changing the future of sports through their innovative use of content, technology and data to build long term, profitable partnerships with top tier sports organisations. I cannot wait to meet clients and team members in the UK and around the world and help them on the next stage of our journey together.

“I am a lifelong football fan and have seen the unique role that sport plays in British and global culture. It is accessible to all and creates bonds across every conceivable boundary; we cheer together, we share disappointment and success together – sports fans come together in such a unique way. Sport as mainstream entertainment is evolving in a rapidly changing media and technology landscape. Two Circles is at the heart of this change, helping sports clubs, organisations and franchises to maximise their engagement with fans. I cannot wait to help them build on their successes of the last decade.”

Gareth Balch, CEO & Co-Founder of Two Circles, added, “Liv is a true pioneer and one of the leading business figures in the UK, with a track record of innovating to move industries forward through major infrastructure initiatives.

“Liv is an inspirational, people-focused leader and a winner in all aspects of her career. I cannot wait to see the impact she has on our teammates and clients at Two Circles. She will be a driving force in our mission to use data, insights, creativity and technology to build a better future for the sports industry.”

Football digital media businesses Stadion and OneFootball have reached a new partnership which will see them collaborate on a new app.

Launching in summer 2024, the app will serve as a marketplace for fans to purchase a wide range of official products – including merchandise, tickets, hospitality packages, memberships, livestreams, memorabilia, in-stadium food and beverage orders – sold by over 130 clubs, leagues and federations in the OneFootball network.

According to a statement, the new partnership between London-based Stadion and Berlin-based OneFootball will unite ‘OneFootball’s massive digital reach with Stadion’s cutting-edge technology’.

Patrick Fischer, CEO of OneFootball, said, “Our fans and community are at the centre of everything we do and now they can explore and purchase the items they want in just a couple of clicks. Stadion and OneFootball also share the vision of helping their partners generate more direct revenue. It’s increasingly important to optimize all digital channels to that aim, and this partnership delivers just that. With Stadion, we are offering brands, clubs and retailers the ability to sell their merchandise and other goods directly to the largest community of digital football fans. In the future, we see this extending to all club and league products, making the fan experience better and benefiting the clubs they love – so there is no limitation to become the one-stop-shop for a fan. Our strategy is to be the world’s biggest marketplace for football products, matching our position as the world’s biggest destination for football content.”

Russell Stopford, CEO of Stadion, said, “Having worked with leading Champions League clubs, we’ve simplified direct fan-to-club transactions. OneBasket is up and running, able to process ticketing, retail merchandise e-commerce, in-stadium F&B, content subscriptions, and online hospitality sales. We are thrilled to deploy this ground-breaking technology with OneFootball to bring the world’s first global football marketplace to fans.”

Chelsea Football Club and football media company Versus have opened applications for their Blue Creator Fund and announced award-winning menswear designer Nicholas Daley as its creative director.

The Northern Ireland Football league (NIFL), which manages the top three levels of the Northern Ireland football league system, has continued its partnership with Used Cars NI until 2027. 

Through extending their partnership, Used Cars NI will continue to be promoted through the NIFL network with signage at stadiums and digital content on social channels.

Stephen Kelly, Used Cars NI said, “We are thrilled to continue our support of the NI Football league. The growth of the partnership over the course of the past year has been amazing to see, as it has given us such a great platform for our brand, and we are excited to be part of that journey over the next four seasons.” 

Ian Forrester, NI Football League added, “Thanks to everyone at Used Cars NI for their continued support of all the exciting work we’re undertaking at NIFL. Their long-term commitment is testament to the trajectory of our business and Used Cars NI have quickly become a key part of our football family.” 

Somerset County Cricket Club has extended its longstanding partnership with Taunton-bases schools King’s College and King’s College Prep.

King’s College is a designated A designated ‘Centre of Cricketing Excellence’ with a number of pupils having gone on to represent Somerset, including England’s current limited overs captain, Jos Buttler.

As part of the agreement, the school will sponsor former students turned Somerset players, James Rew and James Rev throughout the 2024 cricket season.

EFL League Two football club Chesterfield has partnered with sports data platform, StatsBomb. 

As part of the agreement, Chesterfield will gain access to StatsBomb’s data and analytical tools to enhance its recruitment and player analysis. 

Jack Stephenson, Chesterfield Head of Analysis, said, “We at Chesterfield are delighted to have signed this agreement with StatsBomb. As we enter the EFL and look to build on last season’s success, the quality of data they’re able to provide to aid our existing processes will be very beneficial for our analysis, recruitment, and coaching departments. It has already proved to be a useful tool in our preparations for next season.” 

Iron supplement company Active Iron has signed a new agreement with Loughborough Sport.

Throughout the 12-month partnership, both parties will collaborating on the promotion and development of products and the organisations themselves.

This includes the potential for a match-funded PhD studentship to understand the benefits of iron supplements on athletes’ performance.

Claire Lynch, Head of Marketing at Active Iron, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Loughborough Sport, an institution renowned for its commitment to excellence in athletic performance.

“As a women’s health-focused brand, our collaboration is a testament to the importance of optimum nutrition in sport, and we are excited to support female athletes at Loughborough with our clinically proven iron supplements.

“Low iron levels can have a particular impact on women due to menstruation, making it even more crucial to address these needs. Our supplements, batch tested by Informed Sport, provide athletes with peace of mind, ensuring they receive safe and effective support to enhance their performance and overall health.”