fcbusiness CEO of the Year sponsored by General Sports Worldwide

Overall CEO Winner to be announced at the Ceremony

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

o Arsenal Football Club
To offset the emissions generated in the matchday programme production process over the course of a season, Arsenal FC are planting ‘The Arsenal Forest in Africa’.
Partnering with not-for-profit organisation CarbonLink, it has been calculated that the club need to plant 12,500 trees – which will each absorb 20kg of CO2 over the next 10 years – to offset the production.
In addition the Arsenal Forest is being supplemented by Gunners fans at £1 per tree – a quirky gift for the fan who has everything – and the Forest now has over 15,000 trees.
The Forest creates work for 60 people in Bore, Kenya, predominantly women, propagating, potting, preparing, planting and nurturing the trees, the wages provide them with the chance to send their children to school and create other business opportunities.
The Forest will create a new ecosystem where flora and fauna can flourish on land suffering from deforestation. Arsenal have also supplied the workers and local Bore Lions football team with kit, nurturing a strong Arsenal identity in the region.
The Arsenal Forest has been on national news channels in Kenya and a Visitors Centre has been built to cater for the burgeoning interest across the country.

 

o Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
With the Amex stadium located in the South Downs National Park, the club already follows stringent restrictions to keep light pollution to a minimum, keeping gas usage, traffic, litter, and waste to a minimum to preserve the local wildlife Our fans in Brighton and Hove are the only city in the UK to elect a Green Party MP in the past four general elections This challenges us further to match this in the way we operate and the services we provide We are BOLD – Continually challenging partners and suppliers to produce and operate in a “greener” way; HUMAN – Treating people, animals, and the environment equally, enhancing our togetherness with the community around us; MAKING A DIFFERENCE – Implementing small changes which have a massive impact on our overall sustainability All match ticket purchasers enjoy free train travel within the club’s travel zone, with 42% of matchday attendees travelling to the Amex via train Along with 100% recyclable food packaging, biodegradable cups, plant based cutlery, kit made from recycled fibres, provision of plastic free sanitary products, full digital ticketing and ground water recycling at the training ground, together with our community we will continue our commitment to environmental sustainability.

o Hibernian Football Club
The Hibernian Football Club is a leading professional football club in Scotland. In 2019 the Club was named in Greenest Club in Scotland by PDE Waste Technologies. We have embraced our role as leaders in Scotland in furthering environmental, social, and corporate governance. During the year, we have made progress in generating our own energy through installing solar panels in the stadium and training centre, limiting food waste, using compostable containers, electrifying our vehicle fleet, and installing both workplace and commercial EV chargers, and working with our partner relationships to focus on establishing environmentally operations in both matchday and non-matchday processes. We understand our position and influence in Leith and the wider landscape of Scottish Football. For that reason, we make an effort to promote a message of inclusivity and create a welcoming and positive environment at Easter Road Stadium and beyond. During 2021, we launched our first club-backed LGBTQ+ Supporters Club and set the attendance record for a Women’s football match in Scotland. We firmly believe that we are responsible citizens and are committed to playing our part in furthering the conversation on sustainability in football.

 

o Liverpool Football Club
Summary of headline achievements, to date, related to the environmental targets associated with The Red Way:
• Built the associated Sustainability Management System (SEMS) and operational framework to deliver The Red Way strategy and obtained external certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) to ISO 20121
• Increased our position on the Sport Positive Premier League Environmental Sustainability League Table position – moving from joint 5th in 2021 to joint 1st in 2021
The highest increase from any club in 2021 An achievement, LFC believe is based on our holistic approach to addressing environmental impacts
• Certification of LFC’s Energy Management System (EnMS) to ISO50001 has also achieved
• Signatory to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework (higher ambition), but LFC are committed to exceeding this framework’s targets, having devised a robust carbon reduction plan to ensure action contributing to LFC’s Net Zero ambitions is accelerated
• For several years, 100% renewable energy, electricity & gas, has been sourced for use across all LFC UK operated sites
• The transition to sustainable aviation fuels for charter flights and biofuels in team coaches has already commenced

 

o Norwich City Football Club
Norwich City and MM Kotkamills have been working to eradicate the use of Single-Use-Plastics that exist around a typical football Club. Having swapped out 100,000 products per year to MM Kotkamills plastic-free, recyclable alternatives. As well as these operational changes, the Club has been inspired to take our fans, partners and suppliers with us on our journey towards a greener future. This has involved creating a Sustainability Hub on our website, giving fans ideas on what they can do to become more sustainable.

 

o Southampton Football Club
Southampton Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the Premier League Based in Hampshire, on England’s south coast, the club plays its home games in the 32,000 capacity St Mary’s Stadium. Proud of our 136-year heritage, but constantly moving forward, the club is renowned for doing things differently and uses its strong set of guiding principles to turn potential into excellence, both on and off the pitch. We say we play the right way for a better tomorrow and it’s a philosophy that guides our club in everything we do It’s this belief that inspired us to create our sustainability strategy, The Halo Effect. In January 2021, we launched The Halo Effect. Our sustainability strategy signals our commitment to live up to our environmental, corporate, fan and social responsibilities. From cutting carbon and improving biodiversity, to being a force for good in the community, promoting equality and becoming a more responsible business – we’re thinking about how we can be a better, more conscious, and more sustainable club in every aspect of how we work, play and connect with people.
We’re committed to ensuring a sustainable future for our club, our fans and our community.

 

 

o The Football Association
Wembley Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in the world, attracting the biggest events in sport and entertainment and over two million visitors per year. It plays a central role in The FA Group’s dedicated sustainability efforts, which are driven by a full-time lead alongside FAST, The FA Group’s dedicated Sustainability Team comprising a group of passionate employees from across the business keen to continuously improve the way we work.
From the redeployment of soil from the famous pitch to local parks, to the conversion of stadium waste to energy to power homes, The FA is dedicated to devising and implementing change, becoming an industry leader and inspiring the wider sports industry to rethink its approach.
The FA recognises that football’s role in addressing sustainability is multifaceted. This year, The FA will launch its sustainability strategy to address its impacts across the organisation. The strategy sets out ambitious targets that ensure The FA Group tackles the biggest challenge of our times and upholds its mission to provide industry-leading inspirational venues. Through this strategy, The FA aims to be role models in shaping a positive future for all, by driving forward environmental ambitions across every world class FA site.

 

o Tottenham Hotspur Football Club & Sky
On Sunday 19th September, 2021, Tottenham Hotspur partnered with Sky to host the world’s first ever net zero carbon football match at an elite level.
This groundbreaking initiative, taking place ahead of COP26, aimed to raise awareness of the threat of climate change and inspire football fans to make simple changes that will help reduce their carbon footprint.
Spurs and Sky worked to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as energy used to power the game, travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.
Net zero was achieved thanks to both teams using biofuel coaches, fans walking and cycling to the game and choosing more plant-based food options. The stadium was powered by 100% renewable energy and Sky achieved a 70% reduction in emissions from the production crew covering the match.
Through extensive coverage across Club and Sky platforms, Game Zero raised awareness of climate change to the millions of people watching the match and educated the football community and beyond. It demonstrated how teams, fans, broadcasters, caterers and everyone who’s part of a matchday can make small changes that add up to make a big difference.

SPONSORSHIP / PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR

o BT & the 4 Home Nation FAs
BT’s ‘4-3-3 Game Plan’ is the UK’s most ambitious, transformative and truly game-changing football sponsorship. In partnership with all four Home Nation FA’s, 4-3-3 is doubling down on the areas overlooked in the game: women’s, grassroots, para & disability.
4 – Lead Partner of all four Home Nation FA’s
3 – Three communities most in need of support (grassroots, women’s, para & disability)
3 – Three commitments to make a meaningful difference & legacy
The partnership combines the power of football, digital skills and technology to change and elevate the game, while positively impacting individual fans, players and communities.
The strategy has never been more relevant in football. In a year of uncertainty, and with football transcending politics and societal issues, BT has supported and raised the profile of the areas of the game that needed it most, upskilling the nation to be better online citizens – ensuring the game is more accessible, innovative & inclusive than ever before, as well as inspiring more women to step on the pitch. We broadcasted The FA Disability Cup for the first time ever and assembled a star-studded Home Nations squad to tackle online hate.

 

o BlazePod & West Ham Football Club
West Ham United Football Club is working with BlazePod to create a comprehensive reaction training program for its players, with a goal to improve decision making skills, reactions and overall performance while providing accurate data showing progress. Through one-on-one training and education from the BlazePod team, the partnership is creating more effective soccer players who can also avoid injuries and recover from them more quickly.

 

o Deutsche Fussball Liga & Amazon Web Services
To ensure constant technological leadership and to be able to sustain a competitive advantage, DFL in January 2020 started working together with global market leader for cloud solutions, machine learning and artificial intelligence Amazon Web Services as their Official Technology Provider. Together, DFL and AWS want to combine the AWS expertise with the DFL’s in-house capability based on executing the entire value chain autonomously. This powerful partnership enables DFL to approach key challenges that offer potential to respond to the highly competitive environment in the European Sports and Entertainment industry by further improving the media product, serve the customer in an even better way and create a sustainable business advantage. This doesn’t only refer to new products such as the Bundesliga Match Facts or more innovative ways of content delivery via IP-based streaming but also to process optimization such as automated graphic integration into broadcast. Being able to approach these kinds of topics has majorly improved the DFL’s position on the market and changed its way of working.

 

o Fulham Football Club & World Mobile
Fulham FC x World Mobile Partnership 2021/22.
World Mobile was formed with the bold ambition to create a world where everyone, everywhere is connected the brand partnered with Fulham FC in the summer of 2021, becoming the Club’s Main Partner and with it the Front of Shirt Partner of the Club’s Men’s, Women’s and Academy Teams’ shirts.
The Ambition of for World Mobile was to create a partnership with an organisation that could not only leverage this passion and exposure but also shared their goals and values.
As a newly established brand a focus of the first year of the partnership was to drive recognition and awareness of the World Mobile brand and educate the global football audience on what it is striving to achieve, this awareness has been reinforced by an array of digital and social content.
With a focus on cause related initiatives, there are numerous partnership projects underway to truly benefit FFC fans and their local communities both in the UK and Africa.
Together we are #StrongerConnected.

 

o Qatar Airways & Fifty Digital
Fifty Digital is proud to work with Qatar Airways; the World’s Number One Airline 2021 (Skytrax) serving all continents and connecting more than 140 destinations. As well as delivering excellence to customers, Qatar Airways hold one of the most prestigious football sponsorship portfolios in the world including the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA EUROs, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Boca Juniors and AS Roma.
From marking the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Paris Saint-Germain Féminine to celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup’s Qatar home with legend David Beckham, we use the power of football to inspire and unite fans around the world, bringing meaning to Going Places Together.

 

o Rangers Football Club & Castore
Rangers and Castore have entered the Football Business Awards 2022 Sponsorship / Partnership of the Year category. The partnership has seen both Rangers and Castore grow over the last 2 seasons, and the 21/22 season was made even more special with the 150th Anniversary. Their collaboration efforts saw the release of the Anniversary 4th kit, which was extremely well received amongst fans.

INNOVATION AWARD – NON CLUB

o AiSCOUT
The greatest challenge for football clubs and scouts, is finding new players from the available worldwide pool. Traditionally, scouts attended games and watched game clips. Then Covid-19 brought football to a standstill. This highlighted the perfect opportunity to introduce analysed data of amateur football talent worldwide.
AiSCOUT, uses AI to find amateur footballers globally and has been found to increase scout’s access to players by 100%. AiSCOUT is the only app enabling the participation of prospective recruits in virtual trials, allowing them to receive near real-time analysis using benchmarked data collected from R&D, and offering club automated feedback and visibility via entry into the AiSCOUT player database. Players initially complete a series of physical and technical tests to receive their National Ratings Score (NRS) and then enter Professional Club, League, National Squad and sponsor-specific trials.
In January 2021, AiSCOUT launched, trialling an early release on the App Store in May 2020.Currently 19,000 users and professional clubs including Chelsea, Burnley, Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest use the app to trial players.
To date and during the MVP stage – 45 players in the UK have been trialled, signed for professional clubs.

 

o EE
EE has been awarded best network for eight years in a row in the UK, coming out as the fastest, most reliable and with the best data performance. EE is also leading the UK on the rollout of 5G, now in 160 towns and cities across the country. We needed to demonstrate this superiority -showing that EE is always a step ahead – by creating an innovative tech-first experience showcasing the strength of EE’s 5G network.
However, in a year of uncertainty, with Wembley Stadium closed to fans, we had to activate EE’s rights as lead partner in a completely new and inventive way. So, we transformed the famous Wembley turf into the World’s first AR Foosball game, powered by 5G.
EE successfully brought 5G Foosball closer to fans , reminding them of the magic of the stadium and EE’s award-winning network capabilities, even when they couldn’t be there. Even better, EE positioned itself ahead of its competitors, by creating an innovative tech-first experience that contextualised the magic of EE’s 5G network. The campaign reached a total of 15m people, via 49m impressions, over 5m views and a VTR of 14.6%, +244% across EE channels. Impressive stuff.

 

o Element 16 Media
Element16 Media is a fledgling company founded in 2020 by two 16-year-old secondary school students as a result of the disastrous financial effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on their local football club, AFC Telford United. After having voluntarily live-streamed Telford’s home matches during lockdown, to maintain fan engagement with the club, they then decided to create a mobile app for the club – with no budget or coding experience – making AFC Telford United the first – and only – non-league football club in the country to have their own, dedicated, mobile app. Features include a countdown to the next game, league table, social media feeds, latest news, squad hub, online ticketing and a sponsors lounge. It also includes the Live Game Centre which provides fans with instant live stats, line-ups, scorer details and even possession stats – it’s so good that even opposition media teams are using the stats from the app on match days in their own match coverage! All this voluntarily and free of charge, from a bedroom in North Shropshire – helping a non-league football club in tier 6 of the football pyramid recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

o Pixellot
Faced with a crippling lack of gate receipts during the Covid pandemic, SPFL clubs (Scottish Professional Football League) deployed Pixellot’s advanced automated broadcast technology to enable to produce live footage from their games.
The system uses a combination of AI (Artificial Intelligence), machine learning, camera arrays capturing a panoramic view of the pitch, software optimised for individual sports, and cloud computing to deliver dynamic automated coverage of the flow of a game by focusing on the relevant action happening on the pitch — all at the fraction of the price of a conventional broadcast/OB deployment.
Deployed initially at two League 2 clubs, Albion Rovers and Stenhousemuir, and with the financial assistance of comics writer, Hollywood producer, and long-standing Rovers fan Mark Millar, the Pixellot system has since gained buy-in from 12 teams in League 1 and League 2 and produced more than 300 live and on-demand matches. Crucially, as well as providing coaching teams with valuable video analysis of the games, it has also generated to date over £200,000 in revenue via an integrated OTT solution that gives each club its own OTT platform.

 

o Puma
PUMA’s brand positioning is ‘Forever Faster’. Faster to innovate, faster to set trends, and faster to create original content. The brand’s football proposition ‘Faster Football’ showcases how PUMA does things differently, with innovation at its heart.
PUMA’s key audience in football is the ‘football-obsessed teen’ (FOT), a generation of fans who have grown up with football content and culture at their fingertips. Through this activation we successfully drove relevance and connection with FOTs, supporting PUMA’s ambition to move from famous brand to favourite brand.
EURO 2020 was the perfect opportunity to engage FOTs who know PUMA, but who don’t necessarily consider the brand as their preferred option. There was only one problem – with no official tournament rights, PUMA had to reach this audience in an original way, cutting through a saturated post-pandemic sports lifestyle marketplace. Enter ‘Unlock Greatness’ – an innovative, socially-led, interactive Instagram gaming experience, reaching over 1M consumers.

 

o The FA
‘Football Your Way’ has created a vital long-term destination for disability football content, offering a comprehensive suite of tailored, accessible resources and inspiration to keep disabled players engaged and active. In turn, raising the overall profile of Disability Football.
The campaign’s legacy was bolstered by the introduction of a new, FA-led, three-year plan, designed to help develop, improve and raise awareness of Disability Football in England.
This first-of-it’s-kind response represents The FA’s commitment to ensuring that as part of the equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, disabled people have the opportunity to engage and participate in football, their way. Impressive stuff.
o The Player Care Group
Player Care is increasingly becoming a hot topic in football but often clubs are unsure what they should/can be doing in this space – The Player Care Group gives them expert support from those who have been there and built industry leading Player Care departments at a variety of different clubs in a clear, concise and easily measured way. There is nobody else providing this service at the level we are which is why there has been such interest worldwide in what we’re doing in both the consulting & education courses.

 

o YesRef
YesRef is the easy way to find and pay sports officials, globally. A marketplace platform, helping Sports Organisations to find and pay referees in one platform and helping referees find games and get paid digitally. The YesRef platform is available across web iOS and Android making it accessible to all users across sport

BEST INNOVATION BY A CLUB

o Arsenal Football Club
To offset the emissions generated in the matchday programme production process over the course of a season, Arsenal FC are planting ‘The Arsenal Forest in Africa’.
Partnering with not-for-profit organisation CarbonLink, it has been calculated that the club need to plant 12,500 trees – which will each absorb 20kg of CO2 over the next 10 years – to offset the production.
In addition the Arsenal Forest is being supplemented by Gunners fans at £1 per tree – a quirky gift for the fan who has everything – and the Forest now has over 15,000 trees.
The Forest creates work for 60 people in Bore, Kenya, predominantly women, propagating, potting, preparing, planting and nurturing the trees, the wages provide them with the chance to send their children to school and create other business opportunities.
The Forest will create a new ecosystem where flora and fauna can flourish on land suffering from deforestation. Arsenal have also supplied the workers and local Bore Lions football team with kit, nurturing a strong Arsenal identity in the region.
The Arsenal Forest has been on national news channels in Kenya and a Visitors Centre has been built to cater for the burgeoning interest across the country.

 

o Brentford Football Club
It has been the norm for over a decade for a football club to roll-out a new set of home, away and even third kits each season. In 2021, Brentford FC challenged this status quo and decided to keep its home shirt for two seasons.
The move has benefitted both the Club’s fans and the environment. It has enabled Brentford and Umbro to create supply-chain efficiencies for the Club’s most popular retail item and has saved fans money, especially those with young children, after what has been a tough financial period for many during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reaction to the decision has been near universally popular, with Brentford fans, the media and other Club’s fans reacting positively, and it has reignited a much-needed debate about the sustainability of football for future generations.

 

o Everton Football Club
Everton Football Club and Technical Partner, hummel, collaborated to raise awareness of inclusivity in sport, promote and celebrate the goals of Copenhagen 2021 World Pride and the EuroGames, and generate the funds to leave a difference-making legacy on Merseyside through delivery of LGBTI+ awareness sessions.
This initiative was part of the Club’s ‘All Together Now’ equality and diversity campaign and hummel’s own ‘Change The World Through Sport’ pledge.
Specially designed ‘Rainbow’ warm-up shirts were worn by Everton’s Men’s First Team for their opening Premier League fixture of the 2021/22 season against Southampton at Goodison Park and by Everton Women for a pre-season friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion on the same weekend.
The shirts were later auctioned and retailed, raising more than £12,000 to allow Everton in the Community to broaden its delivery of LGBTI+ awareness and celebration across its youth engagement programmes and in local schools.
The collaboration also led to the creation of inclusive football training sessions, an awareness-raising football tournament, and a competition for youngsters that will see a winning poster design recreated as a mural in Liverpool to celebrate inclusivity. Other entries will also feature in a city-wide poster campaign.

 

o Leicester City Football Club
The UK sports turf industry is growing in stature, with UK operatives widely considered as the best in the world. Research, however, has reported a lack of new talent joining the industry and under-30s making it their career choice. It is widely recognised that these challenges are a future risk and may impact on the quality of grass-related sports surfaces and subsequent participation.
For many years, the industry has needed a central hub to harness talent and produce the next generation of sports turf operatives, mechanics, horticulturists and greenkeepers – this is where LCFC’s Sports Turf Academy fulfils that requirement.
The STA was a vision driven by the industry’s needs and brought forward by Head of Sports Turf & Grounds, John Ledwidge. The business model is a worldwide first and demonstrates the Club’s commitment to investing in innovation.

 

o Liverpool Football Club
Summary of headline achievements, to date, related to the environmental targets associated with The Red Way:
• Built the associated Sustainability Management System (SEMS) and operational framework to deliver The Red Way strategy and obtained external certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) to ISO 20121
• Increased our position on the Sport Positive Premier League Environmental Sustainability League Table position – moving from joint 5th in 2021 to joint 1st in 2021
The highest increase from any club in 2021 An achievement, LFC believe is based on our holistic approach to addressing environmental impacts
• Certification of LFC’s Energy Management System (EnMS) to ISO50001 has also achieved
• Signatory to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework (higher ambition), but LFC are committed to exceeding this framework’s targets, having devised a robust carbon reduction plan to ensure action contributing to LFC’s Net Zero ambitions is accelerated
• For several years, 100% renewable energy, electricity & gas, has been sourced for use across all LFC UK operated sites
• The transition to sustainable aviation fuels for charter flights and biofuels in team coaches has already commenced

 

o Manchester City Football Club
In August 2021, Manchester City Football Club announced the signing of England international Jack Grealish on a six-year deal. The players first ever move and a record-breaking signing for the Club and in British football, the transfer was the signature moment in the Clubs summer business.
Producing the announcement of the most expensive signing in British football history whilst under strict COVID-19 restrictions wasn’t easy but the Club managed to capture the imagination of the player and our fans. From capturing the moment the player found out he got the number 10 shirt, worn the previous season by club legend Sergio Aguero to producing an in-depth behind the scenes look at Jack’s every move and revealing Jack in-person to fans outside of the Etihad Stadium, we wanted to give our fans the ultimate inside view and fully involve them in one of the most exciting signing’s for the club.

 

o Norwich City Football Club
Here at Norwich City Football Club, we developed an innovative solution to the challenge we faced of engaging with a younger audience.
Looking into club trends and data, we identified that the most challenging demographic for us to reach was that of 16–25-year-olds. Following extensive research, the clear activity that the majority of people within that age group engaged with was gaming, esports and video content.
Following that research, we launched an official esports team in October 2021, creating a 3-year strategy, starting off by entering the FIFA esports scene with plans currently underway to diversify into a second gaming title.
We decided to differentiate our team branding and move away from Norwich City Football Club by naming the team 1J Esports and creating a new brand identity. The idea behind 1J Esports came as a subtle nod to our club heritage and location given the postcode here at Carrow Road is NR1 1JE.
Since then we have launched bespoke social media channels for 1J Esports (Twitter & Twitch), signed 2 professional FIFA players and a content creator to our roster, and hosted regular streams, tournament, and content on our channels.

 

o Southampton Football Club
Proud of our 136-year heritage, but constantly moving forward, Southampton Football Club is renowned for doing things differently and using its strong set of guiding principles to turn potential into excellence, both on and off the pitch. This idea runs through everything we do, and one of our five core values is innovation.
2021 marked twenty years of the club at St Mary’s Stadium and Hummel were announced as our kit partner from the 21/22 season for the next five years.
Although it was new partnership, this is not a new relationship. Hummel first partnered with us in 1987 and were with the club for four seasons. To celebrate, we wanted to launch a home kit with a difference – something that celebrated our core values of innovation and aspiration whilst also being steeped in our history, giving a nod to our relationship with hummel. A look to the future whilst paying tribute to the past.
Working in partnership with our creative agency Formidable, we set out to give the new kit a digital makeover by creating the world’s first AR-integrated football shirt, with exclusive content activated by scanning special markers on the physical shirt with a smartphone.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD

o Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
WE DO NOT LABEL DIFFERENCE, WE CELEBRATE IT. Brighton and Hove is a vibrant and inclusive city. The LGBTQ+ community is three times higher than the national average – 15-20% of all adults in Brighton identify themselves as lesbian, gay and bi-sexual, twice the percentage in London and three times the percentage in Manchester. The transsexual community is also twice the percentage than the national average, equalling around 1%. Football, like society norms, has moved on in recent years but there is still work to do with accepting difference. Our challenge is reflecting our community demographic to ensure the club stays an inclusive environment and experience for all. We are aware that abuse is only generated by a small minority, therefore we aim to inform rather than preach or enforce information around key subjects. We are active as a major partner of Brighton Pride and of local LGBTQ+ hubs and charities. We are proud of who we represent with training, a network of allies, active community recruitment and more. We are also open about our zero-tolerance policy with homophobia treated on a equal level as all other acts/forms of abuse and creating impact education for perpetrators.

 

o Bristol Rovers Football Club
Bristol Rovers Community Trust and Bristol Rovers FC have been working closely in partnership for 2 years to develop a strategy to enable us to increase the diversity of our fanbase from underrepresented groups. Bristol currently has a community of 16 % BAME residents. A recent investigation into the backgrounds of our season ticket holders and surveys carried out within the stadium on matchdays indicated approximately 1.5% of our fans came from these highlighted communities, highlighting that as a club we were not engaging with a large representation of our community.
The My Rovers, My Shirt Campaign was born out of the need and desire for us a football club to engage and inspire our local communities as well as highlighting the diversity among the club’s fanbase and championing the multi-cultural nature of Bristol.

 

o BT
Para and Disability football is a key focus within BT’s transformational ‘4-3-3’ sponsorship strategy as lead partner of the England, Wales, Scotland and Irish Football Associations.
With over 14 million disabled people in the UK, disability football receives little or no exposure and has been overlooked or ignored by audiences and sponsors, until now. This means remarkable people and players across the UK were going unnoticed and un-supported and that millions living with a disability were unaware of the positive benefits they could experience through football.
To make a difference to this community, BT challenged the status quo to shine a spotlight on the game in a way never seen before. #DiscoverDisabilityFootball campaign has been a game-changing platform that’s inspired millions across the UK to watch, support or play disability football.

 

o Everton Football Club
Everton Football Club and Technical Partner, hummel, collaborated to raise awareness of inclusivity in sport, promote and celebrate the goals of Copenhagen 2021 World Pride and the EuroGames, and generate the funds to leave a difference-making legacy on Merseyside through delivery of LGBTI+ awareness sessions.
This initiative was part of the Club’s ‘All Together Now’ equality and diversity campaign and hummel’s own ‘Change The World Through Sport’ pledge.
Specially designed ‘Rainbow’ warm-up shirts were worn by Everton’s Men’s First Team for their opening Premier League fixture of the 2021/22 season against Southampton at Goodison Park and by Everton Women for a pre-season friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion on the same weekend.
The shirts were later auctioned and retailed, raising more than £12,000 to allow Everton in the Community to broaden its delivery of LGBTI+ awareness and celebration across its youth engagement programmes and in local schools.
The collaboration also led to the creation of inclusive football training sessions, an awareness-raising football tournament, and a competition for youngsters that will see a winning poster design recreated as a mural in Liverpool to celebrate inclusivity. Other entries will also feature in a city-wide poster campaign.

 

o Proud Baggies
Proud Baggies is run as a not-for-profit organisation by a motivated group of volunteers lead by founder Piero Zizzi and Neil Basterfield. Both bring considerable experience to the organisation, Piero as a Sports Marketing Director and Neil as a Human Resources Director and Diversity and Inclusion specialist. The Group have 300+ active members and our work extends beyond WBA into the local community, working closely with a number of partners across Sandwell and Birmingham.
Whilst Proud Baggies focus is on ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for WBA’s LGBTQ+ fans, they are also heavily engaged in LGBTQ+ awareness across the local Region, engaging in schools outreach work with The Albion Foundation (WBA’s official charity partner), providing advice and guidance to numerous local organisations including West Midland Police Football Unit and Sandwell College as well as delivering inhouse training to WBA’s matchday stewards and wider workforce. Additionally, the groups’ innovative campaigns for Rainbow Laces and Football v Homophobia have won praise whilst raining awareness of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.
The group are already multi-award winners and have been shortlisted for Football v Homophobia and Football Supporters Association (FSA) awards for the last 3 years running.

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN FOOTBALL

o BlazePod & West Ham United Football Club
West Ham United Football Club is working with BlazePod to create a comprehensive reaction training program for its players, with a goal to improve decision making skills, reactions and overall performance while providing accurate data showing progress. Through one-on-one training and education from the BlazePod team, the partnership is creating more effective soccer players who can also avoid injuries and recover from them more quickly.

 

o DFL Deutsche Fussball Liga
Artificial Intelligence supports live commentary! Football commentators must be good at multitasking: they follow and describe what’s happening on pitch but are also expected to provide relevant background information. For this purpose, DFL runs an editorial support system available to media partners for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches. The “Commentary Live System“ delivers a wide range of data, from match facts and stats to individual player details.
The new feature “Data Story Finder” (DSF) accelerates the delivery of context significantly and enables commentators to instantly recognise unusual accomplishments or new records. Smart algorithms search for data-driven storytelling, correlating live match data in real time with other match, seasonal or historical data. Example: “Most Pressed Player” shows which player is experiencing especially high pressure from the opposing team while in ball possession. The DSF-ticker says: “Marco Reus experienced pressure 25 times, 110per cent more frequently than the average of Borussia Dortmund”.
The new service builds on Bundesliga Match Facts powered by AWS. Using Artificial Intelligence, this feature captures, calculates and visualises contextual data in real time to help viewers better understand what is happening on the pitch. More than 3.6 m data points per match are converted into Bundesliga Match Facts.

 

o EE & Cake
EE has been awarded best network for eight years in a row in the UK, coming out as the fastest, most reliable and with the best data performance. EE is also leading the UK on the rollout of 5G, now in 160 towns and cities across the country. We needed to demonstrate this superiority -showing that EE is always a step ahead – by creating an innovative tech-first experience showcasing the strength of EE’s 5G network.
However, in a year of uncertainty, with Wembley Stadium closed to fans, we had to activate EE’s rights as lead partner in a completely new and inventive way. So, we transformed the famous Wembley turf into the World’s first AR Foosball game, powered by 5G.
EE successfully brought 5G Foosball closer to fans , reminding them of the magic of the stadium and EE’s award-winning network capabilities, even when they couldn’t be there. Even better, EE positioned itself ahead of its competitors, by creating an innovative tech-first experience that contextualised the magic of EE’s 5G network. The campaign reached a total of 15m people, via 49m impressions, over 5m views and a VTR of 14.6%, +244% across EE channels. Impressive stuff.

 

o En2End
Alipay signed an 8-year deal to become UEFA national team football sponsor. Alipay’s first sponsorship deal in football and first Digital wallet for UNTF.
One of Alipay’s sole and exclusive rights for the EUROS competition is to allow guests a behind the scenes experience, pitch-side access and interaction with UEFA Ambassadors. This was undeliverable due to the pandemic. We were tasked with finding a solution which is how this hybrid event was first conceived. We held 2 in person events in a hotel in China which featured VIP Ali Pay guests and a children’s foundation. With a 2-way broadcast to our interactive stations in the player arrival tunnels in the stadiums this hybrid activation blended a former player (UEFA Ambassador) meet & greet, behind the scenes unique access and culminated with current player arrival interaction, which was fully controlled and managed from our offices in Manchester.
We successfully integrated 4 live physical events digitally. By creating this hybrid experience our client has a digital solution that gives them ability to increase the impact on their business objectives and an infinite opportunity of engagement and sales opportunities.

 

o Imagineear
Imagineear is the leading producer of multimedia content and technologies for self-guided and group-guided tours at major sports clubs, stadia, related museums and sports heritage attractions worldwide. We turn empty stadia into leading visitor attractions, using our content and technologies to create visitor experiences that bring venues to life and take fans behind the scenes on non-event days.
Our work helps manage visitor flow, optimise visitor spend and provide real-time data insights. We provide our sports clients with everything they need, from the design and conceptualisation through to operational planning, and includes bespoke hardware and software solutions in addition to interactive immersive multilingual experiences. This product and service combination deepens the sport, venue or club’s connection with their visitors from all over the world.
With our ground-breaking Multimedia GroupGuide™ technology, group leaders can add unique value to their live commentary, adding dynamic multimedia content, including 360º videos and AR image recognition, all personalised in their group members’ own languages.
Football clients we work in close partnership with include Arsenal Emirates Stadium Experience, the London Stadium and West Ham United FC, Chelsea FC, Wembley Stadium, Liverpool FC, Olympique Marseille, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Manchester United FC and Manchester City FC.

 

o LiveScore
The ‘LiveScore OTT Automation Engine’ revolutionised the way LiveScore approaches free-to-air live streaming, driving huge value for the brand, football fans, rightsholders and commercial partners alike.
As disruptors within the OTT live-streaming space, and unbiased by existing solutions or investments, LiveScore employed a creative and digital-first mindset that empowered the business to invest in premium rights and deliver them at scale. Leveraging the power of the cloud ecosystem, automated technology ensured LiveScore was able to deliver elite production and live-streaming at a fraction of the manpower and expense of traditional broadcast methods.
At its essence, the ‘LiveScore OTT Automation Engine’ eliminated almost all manual elements of match production, with the world feed, sponsorship content, in-house preview shows and advertising seamlessly integrated with minimal operational heavy lifting.
The exceptional efficiencies of the technology empowered LiveScore to secure a world-class rights deal with UEFA, securing a three-year deal to broadcast ALL 137 UEFA Champions League matches fully free-to-air to football fans in Ireland.
The outcome represented an outstanding benefit to Irish consumers, who previously only had access to 14 free-to-air matches per season via traditional broadcast channels, whilst introducing thousands of fans into the LiveScore product ecosystem.

 

o Supponor
Supponor AIR™ is arguably the most disruptive technology innovation in the sport industry due to its two-fold proposition: using AI and ML as key differentiators on one hand and driving commercial value on the other. In contrast with many highly innovative technology solutions in the broadcast and media industry, Supponor AIR™ is a direct enabler of increased commercial revenues to the market through its proven reliability in top-tier football leagues across the globe.

 

o Swanbay Limited
MatchVision+ (Synopsis)
MATCHVISION+ by Swanbay is brand new and different to anything that exists today. We have challenged & improved everything around match highlights, even changing the name!
Swanbay services plug-in to existing platforms immediately enabling users to analyse gameplay, retrieve the action they want to see and create their own action videos by match, by player, over a season or from your entire archive. We instantly create added value to fans, increase dwell time on your own platforms and create a new revenue opportunity from your existing match archive – all with a simple to integrate solution.
Football is currently summarised with both stats and video (highlights as they used to be called) but they don’t match. Our unique technology blends them and lets you decide what you want to see, by making all key events or an individual players contribution to a game instantly viewable either as a bespoke clip or by clicking a match stat.
Swanbay ensures that the 90%+ of a match video that doesn’t make the “highlights” is still available to fans to watch, share and analyse in any way they want.

 

o Urban Zoo
Urban Zoo are a Sports Technology Company specialising in fan engagement and commercial returns for Football Clubs Our Gamechanger Platform has been built from the ground up together with content, media and commercial teams from Football Clubs in the UK.
We do not operate as a typical agency, our focus is football and all our team are UK based Our customers span all four leagues within UK professional football and also the SPFL Club clients include Celtic, Aston Villa, Everton, Fulham, SUFC, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers, Reading, Forest, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanders and Leyton Orient.
Our Websites and Apps are driven via our own cloud based/headless CMS allows media teams to create rich content to drive up engagement. Gamechanger is responsive and flexible and intuitive to use and is offered to clubs with mixed affordability at a tiered pricing model for all leagues.
As we increase the number of clubs we work with we continue to canvas ideas on how to improve the platform and these ideas are incorporated into our ongoing development roadmap. Once new features and functionality updates are ready, we release these to all our clubs at no additional cost.
Case Study for Villa https://spark.adobe.com/page/pXOmOGEBKOADu/

BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BUSINESS SERVING FOOTBALL

o Hall Brown Family Law

Hall Brown is an award winning boutique family law firm in Manchester, London, Leeds and Sheffield offering best-in-class advice on a full range of family law services. Every member of our team, from Partner to Personal Assistant has been handpicked with the aim of offering clients the highest level of legal expertise, service, and the best possible outcome.

We have worked with a number of sports professionals, their agents and clubs and pride ourselves on our discretion and ability to keep matters out of the media spotlight.

 

o KSS Design Group
The aim for KSS this year was to build on the UK success and also take the message and experience to Europe and replicate the amazing facilities and club successes we have delivered in the UK. The vitality of the game and fan enjoyment needs a more competitive European platform to compete with the power of the amazing Premier League. Fans at home and abroad also demand a higher quality experience and better facilities.
KSS aimed and succeeded in securing a wide range of stadia and training centre commissions with European clubs that strive to compete initially or more successfully in UEFA Champions League and Europa League competitions. Training centres remains a significant thrust of development for Premier League clubs seeking the resilience to stay in the toughest league in the world. We have designed on four such centres this year.
We are confident we can continue to serve football in the UK as a trusted and experienced partner and build on this platform to continue to grow internationally and improve the quality of the game, give a richer fan experience and improve player wellbeing.

 

o Mackrell.Solicitors
With a focus on building close, lasting relationships with players as well as building a strong international network of advisors and subject-matter experts, Mackrell.Solicitors sets itself apart from many other law firms by offering a personable, engaging and practical full-service approach that considers the diverse and wide-ranging needs of their clients.
Having grown from just a concept five years ago, the Sports & Entertainment Team now acts for more than 85 athletes.
The team continues to go from strength to strength, growing to meet the demand for their services.
The team’s commitment to education and adding value not only to their clients, but also to the football community at large drives their passion for pro bono, charitable, and educational work.
With connections in more than 60 countries around the world, as the founding member of elite legal network Mackrell International, its sports clients can get immediate access to advice anywhere in the world.
Few firms can offer such a carefully tailored service to sports clients, which is a testament to the hard work and focus on clients’ needs.

 

o Oaks Consultancy
At Oaks we help socially-minded organisations to excel through effective strategic planning, fundraising and income generation. We challenge organisations in sport to think differently about their structure, purpose and future. We help organisations to explore and realise their fundraising potential. We lead and implement activities that stimulate new and diverse revenues.
Our team of 20 strategy and fundraising consultants supports hundreds of organisations in football of all shapes and sizes across the world, including the likes of UEFA, the European Club Association, Leicester City in the Community, Albion in the Community and several national associations and federations.
The past twelve months have proven to be our most successful in football to-date. We have supported several national associations of football across Europe, expanded into women’s football, and continued to support club community organisations in the Premier League, Championship and League One – raising over £2m for football-based interventions.

 

o Onside Law
Onside Law is a boutique sports law firm, with a particular focus on football. Having been at the forefront of the industry for nearly two decades, working in both the men’s and women’s game, Onside Law advises on the biggest deals and disputes in football, acting for many of football’s most iconic names. Highlights from the last 12 months include working on Aaron Ramsdale’s move to Arsenal, advising on Heart of Midlothian becoming the UK’s largest fan-owned club and acting for a Premier League club at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The team continues to go from strength to strength and has solidified its reputation as the go-to legal advisors in football.

BEST NEW PLAYER / CONTRACT SIGNING REVEAL CAMPAIGN

o Bolton Wanderers Football Club
After a dark and difficult period in its long history, Bolton Wanderers is a club full of renewed optimism for its future and the next chapter of its journey.
A busy and exciting January 2022 transfer window presented an opportunity for the in-house media team to celebrate this and to effectively deliver content to bolster the feelings of growing pride, joy and hope in the fan base.
The challenge for the small in-house team was developing and delivering the sheer volume of content to support the announcements of seven new player signings and to execute this with creativity, attention to detail and within the usual unpredictable deadline timeframes.

 

o Birmingham City Football Club
The long-awaited signing of boyhood Bluenose, Troy Deeney, signified a huge moment for the Club and its supporters. Not many players get to represent the Club they have supported their entire life and Troy’s ‘Homecoming’ called upon players past and present who have trodden that very path. An emotive teaser provided the perfect platform for Troy to stroll out of the player’s tunnel and onto the very pitch he had dreamed of playing on as a young supporter. The Club went back to his Chelmsley Wood roots, depicting a young Deeney in a Birmingham City shirt and showing his path from parks pitches to the professional game. With the help of Birmingham music artist Jaykae, Deeney was interviewed on the pitch and given a heroes welcome as he embarked on a move many thought would never happen. Such is Deeney’s profile, the transfer announcement smashed previous records for reach, engagement and views.

 

o Chelsea Football Club
In August 2021 Romelu Lukaku, one of the most prolific strikers in European football, returned to Chelsea Football Club, the club he supported as a young boy and had previously been at between 2011 and 2014. The reunion between the Belgian and Chelsea and his journey in between provided a unique angle for any creative work regarding the announcement campaign. At Chelsea, we want our signing announcements to go above and beyond the usual launch asset and the Lukaku campaign showed how Chelsea successfully collaborates across internal departments, making the best use of its creative, broadcast and marketing expertise while also working with one of world’s biggest full-service entertainment companies to deliver an elevated signing campaign.

 

o Leeds United Football Club

After failing to sign Daniel James during the January 2019 transfer window, which was documented in the award winning Amazon documentary ‘Take Us Home’ – Leeds United finally signed Dan James during the Summer 2021 transfer window, putting an end to one of the longest transfer sagas in the club’s history.

The release featured a video reveal resuming where the Dan James saga ended – eventually transitioning to an on-brand (21/22 LUFC creative) reveal featuring Dan in the Elland Road concourse lit by club colours.

We also had the opportunity to bring in the ‘lost content’ from his failed transfer two seasons ago. The use of previous imagery alongside current photos helped bring the saga to an end where the club, the player and the fans were all satisfied with the end result. James’ signing video generated 18,495,790 impressions, 1,948,155 engagements whilst also generating £354,731 in earned media value for commercial partners associated with the transfer assets.

 

o Manchester City Football Club
In August 2021, Manchester City Football Club announced the signing of England international Jack Grealish on a six-year deal. The players first ever move and a record-breaking signing for the Club and in British football, the transfer was the signature moment in the Clubs summer business.
Producing the announcement of the most expensive signing in British football history whilst under strict COVID-19 restrictions wasn’t easy but the Club managed to capture the imagination of the player and our fans. From capturing the moment the player found out he got the number 10 shirt, worn the previous season by club legend Sergio Aguero to producing an in-depth behind the scenes look at Jack’s every move and revealing Jack in-person to fans outside of the Etihad Stadium, we wanted to give our fans the ultimate inside view and fully involve them in one of the most exciting signing’s for the club.

 

o Partick Thistle Football Club

Tiffoney: I think he’s a loan now … that was the running joke when Partick Thistle signed Scott Tiffoney on loan in March 2021.

Then, Thistle were slumped in sixth place in Scotland’s third tier, falling eight points behind leaders Falkirk a month of the most extraordinary season left to play.

This was the club’s lowest point, even after a year during which they suffered demotion via a controversial vote, were awarded funding that disadvantaged them to the tune of £350,000 and had not been able to welcome a single supporter to a game in 12 months.

Then along came Tiff. Just six weeks on from his arrival, the Jags stormed to the League 1 title, largely inspired by the winger who assisted and scored relentlessly, including a strike in the 5-0 title clincher against rivals Falkirk.

The clamour to sign him grew. And when it happened, it led to the most successful piece of content in the club’s history.

I said what about – we’ve signed Scott Tiffoney.

Ya beauty!

In Thistle supporters’ eyes Scott Tiffoney is one in a million.

And a million – and then some – is just how many lapped up the signing announcement of the summer.

 

o Rangers Football Club
Rangers Football Club have entered the Football Business Awards 2022 Best New Player / Contract Signing Reveal Campaign category. When faced with the crucial decision of appointing a manager in November 2021, Rangers were able to successfully land Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, former Rangers player and now manager. In their new manager signing reveal campaign, Rangers displayed great pride at having van Bronckhorst return to the club.

BEST FOOTBALL COMMUNITY SCHEME

o Albion in the Community
Albion in the Community is one of the leading football charities in the UK, with a reputation for delivering pioneering, innovative and impactful programmes across the south coast.
Working in some of the most economically and health deprived coastal communities in the UK, the charity makes a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of tens of thousands of local people.
A recent independent social and economic study found Albion in the Community creates an annual social impact valued in excess of £28million, all from an income of just £3.2million. Put simply, for every £1 of income, the charity creates £8.84 of positive impact for local people.
It is a record which everyone connected with Brighton & Hove Albion is incredibly proud – including the club’s supporters. In the most-recent Premier League Fan Matchday Survey, the charity’s work again led the way in how fans of Premier League clubs viewed their community schemes.
The survey found 95% of Albion supporters felt the club made a significant contribution to the local community (compared to a Premier League average of 77%), with 94% feeling that the work was an important part of the culture and philosophy of Brighton & Hove Albion.

 

o Chelsea Football Club
In 2020, London, which is a vibrant, energetic, and innovative city turned into one of uncertainty. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that many couldn’t go about their normal lives. As well as this, we saw many local businesses suffer because of lockdown, with less footfall through their doors and less disposable available to customers. The lives of some of our most loyal supporters and wider London community were turned upside down. With games being played behind doors and our fans missing from their seats, we had to identify a way to boost moral and ignite that London spirit that we so badly missed. As a club, we also wanted to recognise those who had helped others, who had gone the extra mile to assist in their communities, and to maintain the entrepreneurial London spirit. Our brand films spotlighted real heroes that reflected our own brand DNA to showcase the creativity, resilience and drive that Londoners have, and highlight the strength of our city. We wanted to create a campaign that gave back to the community and supported local businesses that were continuing to push the city forward.
o Everton in the Community
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Everton in the Community is the official charity of Everton FC, providing services to those living in the Liverpool City Region (LCR), tackling issues such as poor mental health; unemployment; crime and health; and housing and education.
Launched in 1988, the charity runs more than 40 programmes each year, held in 130 venues across the city region and offering support to all ages, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.

 

 

o Leicester City in the Community
Leicester City in the Community (LCitC) are a registered independent charity, governed by a board of trustees. One of two official charities of Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) our aim is to engage, inspire and empower communities across Leicester and Leicestershire, through togetherness, respect, and pride – these values underpin the work we do and are driven by our workforce.
During the 2020/21 season our workforce led by example by fearlessly advocating for positive mental wellbeing and LGBTQ+ awareness, inspired our participants to face their fears and overcome personal barriers, and quickly responded in high pressure situations.
Twenty two percent our current workforce have developed through various stages of our Grow Your Own pathway of participant, to volunteer, to sessional staff, to part-time or full-time employee – building a diverse workforce that is reflective of our communities is a central part of our values and culture and is essential to our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

 

o Play
Four clubs. One goal.
Cross brand co-operation to empower the people of Merseyside.
On the eve of the Merseyside Derby in November 2021, the four football clubs on Merseyside, Everton FC, Liverpool FC, Marine AFC and Tranmere Rovers FC, put aside old rivalries to come together at Goodison Park with charity Crimestoppers and launch a new initiative to help reduce crime in local communities.
This new partnership has one goal: to make Merseyside safer for all communities.
The four clubs are at the heart of the community, and through the work of Everton in the Community, the LFC Foundation, Marine in the Community and Tranmere Rovers Community Foundation, countless lives are changed, young people are supported and thousands of people across Merseyside benefit each year.
By joining together with Crimestoppers, this campaign will use the power and reach of Football to change communities and help stop exploitation, abuse and violence. This powerful unifying message and creative campaign, using new and traditional media, community events and programmes, is reaching out to those supporters and communities most affected by crime and the harm caused by crime.

 

o Port Vale Foundation
Port Vale Foundation uses the power of the Port Vale Football Club to improve lives and communities in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire In partnership with the club, volunteers and partners we have provided essential support for families, young people and adults across the area Our programmes are driven by our core values of passion, collaboration, integrity, inclusivity, excellence and pride Our youngest participant was 2 years of age taking part in our Saturday morning Baby Boomers, an introduction to sport, as well as our Tuesday morning Boogie Boomers, which is a dance based physical literacy programme We retained our connection with the older community through our community engagement team Valiant Vera, 93, attends our Golden Valiants programme every week taking part in bingo, quizzes and grabbing a cup of tea and a much needed natter with friends The pandemic was still at large during 2021 and continued to impact negatively on the most vulnerable living in communities with multiple deprivation Port Vale’s community has many such challenges, meaning our communities have needed the support we offer to continue We continued to offer services as we did during the pandemic but were thrilled to open up face to face delivery to allow

 

o Saints Foundation
Saints Foundation is the charity of Southampton Football Club – we are the club’s way of giving back to our city. We deliver community projects which support local people in fulfilling their potential, helping them to lead happier, healthier lives.
We use insights and data to identify the greatest needs in our city, and focus our delivery to support and empower those who need it most. Our work is coordinated with our club and more than 50 city parents to make sure we make maximum impact, when and where it’s required.
In the 2021/22 season, Saints Foundation is marking 20 years of transforming lives in our local community. Whilst we celebrate this significant milestone, we know that people’s need for our support has never been greater. We are reviewing our strategy, analysing our city’s needs, and continuing to evolve our approach to make sure we encourage real change in Southampton for the next 20 years and beyond.

 

o Swansea City Football Club
The Boot Room is the idea of Swans fan Carl Bradley, who wanted to help provide football boots for children whose families were unable to afford to kit out their young footballers.
This affects alot of parents when their children are growing out of their shoes so frequently and the price of boots is increasing so regularly. Looking to ensure the community’s young players were not prevented from participating in the game they love due to a lack of equipment, Swansea City and a number of local businesses backed the scheme by acting as drop off points for donated boots.
The initiative to help children and young adults in Swansea and the surrounding community has now been extended to include The Kit Room until 2024.
The Bootroom now has another 7 locations throughout the UK including London, Plymouth and Liverpool and this is all the work of a huge Swans Supporter who just wanted to make football more accessible and make sure there weren’t any barriers for children to have the tools they need to play the game.

 

o Wrexham AFC
Wrexham AFC launched its Powerchair Football sessions in September 2021, becoming the first Club in Wales to offer it.
Organised jointly by volunteer Disability Liaison Officer Kerry Evans and staff from the Racecourse Community Foundation, the sessions are open to anyone with a disability, from the age of six and older.
With benefitting the local community a key part of the Club’s Mission Statement under co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, the sessions have proved hugely popular. Having funded the initial purchase of Powerchairs for the session, the co-chairman have since supported the popularity by buying more – allowing the Club to run two separate, weekly sessions, for children aged 6-16 and then for adults.
Community partners are now being invited to sponsor the team, as they look to launch their first competitive matches in future too. Furthermore, the Powerchair football team has featured on BBC Sport’s Football Focus, as part of the in-progress Welcome to Wrexham documentary and as part of the celebrations of Rob and Ryan’s first year in charge of the Club.