Salford City FC has officially revealed its new shirt sponsor for the coming seasons as globally-known North American whisky brand Fireball is set to be splashed on the front of their home and away kits.
While Salford City‘s home kit for the 2024/25 season is still yet to be revealed, the away have now been debuted in line with Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey being announced as the Ammies’ latest commercial collaboration, which is said to be a “first-of-its-kind deal” for both parties.
The multi-year agreement will see the spicy cinnamon-infused whisky liqueur feature as the main sponsor on Salford shirts for the next three seasons as part of a “360-degree partnership”.
Confirming the front-of-shirt deal on Friday, 5 July, the two brands will also team up on “various touchpoints including broadcast and news media, custom social and digital content, in-store, and on-field branding experiences” on and off the pitch.
Salford City is excited to announce a new multi-year sponsorship deal with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky that will see the USA's #1 shot brand become the men's first team front-of-shirt sponsor for the next three seasons 🤝
It’s the Canadian alcohol brand’s first foray into English football and a landmark moment for the Greater Manchester club which has been looking to expand its commercial portfolio and generate more revenue.
ADVERTISEMENT
This comes since the Class of 92 group and co-owner Peter Lim opened the club to the floor for new investors earlier this year, with the club’s progress having slowed somewhat after they were promoted four times in five seasons following their 2014 takeover.
Fireball will replace nationwide property development and funding company, Salboy – which many Mancs will likely recognise from various bits of construction across the city centre and beyond – who served as Salford’s shirt sponsor for just one season to kick off their first year with Adidas as manufacturers.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 40-year-old brand can be found in most alcohol aisles in the UK and is shipped all over the world, making the partnership a huge deal for the local outfit, not to mention just the latest in a series of global drinks companies sponsoring clubs – e.g. Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin on Wrexham kits and Red Bull partnering with Leeds United earlier this month.
Commenting on the new kit deal, Salford City CEO and Manchester United legend Nicky Butt said: “We are excited to welcome Fireball as our men’s team front of shirt sponsor for the next three years, and we are really looking forward to working with them.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Salford has a rich history of being creative and doing things in our way, so when this opportunity to partner with Fireball came about and we saw how they have made an impression on their sector, it resonated with us and the journey we have been on since taking over a decade ago.”
Lorenzo Farronato, Fireball’s European Marketing Director added: “Football is a game all about shots – taking them and making them is what the game is all about. So, as the number one shot brand in the USA, Fireball was inspired to enter the game but knew we needed to do it right.
“Fireball’s partnership with SCFC is a match made in heaven – just like our brand, Salford believes in working hard, playing hard and having a ton of fun every step of the way. We share similarly dedicated fanbases, too, and can’t wait to deliver unexpected moments of mischief and celebration to them all season long.”
Featured Images — Salford City (via X)/m01229 (via Flickr)
Sport
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run returns this summer with three new routes
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this summer, and this year, there’s three new routes to run.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo saw success with similar sold-out events in 2023 and 2024, and is now looking for 2,500 runners to sign up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences when it returns later this year – with all funds raised from the popular event going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.
Participants will this year take on a brand-new route winding through more of the zoo than ever before, and enjoying glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.
Chester Zoo is inviting runners of all abilities to take part this year, as there’s a new 5km run added to the usual 10km route, and even a one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged four-15.
With only 2,500 places up for grabs, organisers say the event is expected to sell out quickly, just like it has the past two years, as runners race to support a very special cause.
All proceeds from this year’s Run For Nature in September will go directly towards protecting Nubian giraffes in East Africa – a species which has seen drastic population declines in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run is returning this summer with three new routes / Credit: Chester Zoo
Runners will receive a wooden medal at the finish line and free entry to the zoo for the remainder of the day, so they can relax and celebrate their achievement among 30,000 amazing animals.
If that didn’t all sound brilliant enough as it is, top fundraisers from the day will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes too, including annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions, and even special behind-the-scenes zoo experiences.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Run For Nature for a third incredible year,” explained Sarah Jones, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
“We’ve now doubled the distance runners spend inside the zoo, so they’ll pass by even more iconic animals, [making it] a really special experience you won’t get anywhere else.”
Run For Nature is back at Chester Zoo this Sunday 21 September, and you can find out more and sign up to take part here.
Danny Jones -
5th July 2024 
