Football Australia and Australian Professional Leagues (APL) today announced the immediate termination of the A-League and Westfield W-League licence held by Newcastle Jets Club Pty Limited (ACN 602 270 664).

The termination is based on the entity’s failure to pay its debts as and when they were due, which placed it in material breach of the Club Participation Agreement.

A new licence will be issued to an entity owned and controlled by a consortium of existing APL club investors, who will operate the licence on an interim basis until a new investor is secured. The Newcastle Jets will continue to participate in APL competitions and current players of the Newcastle Jets will be offered contracts with the new entity.

Representatives of Football Australia, the APL, and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) today met with the players, coaches, management, and staff of the club to advise them directly of the decision.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Johnson, said the owners of Newcastle Jets Club Pty Limited, had been given every opportunity to rectify the club’s financial situation and continue as the owner and operator of the licence or to sell the club to another investor. The company’s concurrent financial position however, left no other choice but to terminate the licence.

“There were clear failings to adequately capitalise Newcastle Jets FC to meet the minimum requirements set to run an A-League and Westfield W-League club, and to operate a company in accordance with Australian law,” Johnson said.

“Following the recent announcement of the unbundling of the Professional Leagues from Football Australia, it’s pleasing to see a group of existing APL Club investors stepping in to assume control of Newcastle Jets FC in the interim. It is important for Football Australia to remain separate to the ownership of the Clubs so that it can effectively carry out its responsibilities as the governing body of football in Australia and regulator of the Professional Leagues.

“The Newcastle and Northern NSW region is a heartland of Australian football – an area with a strong participation base combined with a rich history of producing some Australia’s finest footballers, including dozens of Socceroos and Westfield Matildas. We are pleased that so soon into the unbundling process, APL has managed to secure an interim arrangement to ensure the ongoing viability of the Jets. Football Australia will support APL throughout the process with the aim of identifying new investment and new energy for Newcastle Jets FC and football in the region.” Johnson concluded.

APL Commissioner, Mr Greg O’Rourke, said: “From a competition integrity standpoint, this is an ideal outcome as we continue the 2020/21 seasons. Newcastle is a vibrant footballing region with a long and proud history in the game and we are delighted that the Newcastle Jets will continue to participate in the APL.”

Northampton Saints and Cinch, one of the UK’s fastest-growing online car-selling platforms, have agreed a multi-year partnership which will see the innovative automotive platform become an Elite Partner at Franklin’s Gardens.

With the aim of taking the faff out of buying a used car, cinch began its journey in 2019 – and has very quickly established itself as one of the UK’s largest e-commerce sites for used cars offering motorists a new, friendly way to search using the latest in web technology.

The platform will become synonymous with Saints, with cinch branding appearing in premium positions on the Club’s famous Black, Green and Gold playing strip – across the rear of the shirt and shorts for both home and away kits. cinch will also enjoy a significant matchday presence at Franklin’s Gardens, with the South Stand being renamed the ‘cinch Stand’ from the Club’s Boxing Day clash against Worcester Warriors onwards.

“We are very proud to welcome cinch to the Club, and incredibly excited about this partnership between two brands whose focus is on innovation and growth,” said Tony Davison, Commercial Director at Northampton Saints.

“We’re confident our partnership will become an integral asset for cinch in driving awareness within UK sport, providing fans with a platform to help make it easier and more accessible to buy the car which best suits their lifestyle.”

This new relationship will also see cinch help Saints supporters enjoy the build-up and digest the reaction from every single game, with ‘cinch Stats’ being included across the Club’s social media channels and E-zine content before and after matches.

Avril Palmer-Baunack, cinch Chairman, said, “cinch is delighted to be partnering Northampton Saints with this long-term deal. We have plenty of keen Saints fans within our business, and our Group, Constellation Automotive, employs thousands of people across Northamptonshire and the neighbouring counties, so we’re all looking forward to seeing Saints go from strength to strength.

“cinch is the automotive brand for everybody, faff-free, top quality and down to earth, much like the Saints supporters who we can’t wait to get to know over the coming seasons. We plan to bring some memorable moments to Franklin’s Gardens for all and can’t wait to get started.’

American Golf, Europe’s largest golf retailer, will join forces with the Legends Tour by becoming an Official Partner and its Official Retail Partner.

The agreement also sees American Golf become an Official Partner to the ICL Jersey Senior Open, Irish Legends hosted by the McGinley Foundation, Staysure PGA Seniors Championship and the Scottish Senior Open hosted by Paul Lawrie.

American Golf joins Rolex, Emirates, Callaway, Staysure and Crew Clothing as Official Partners to the Legends Tour, gaining global exposure at all Legends Tour events and across the Legends Tour website and social media channels.

The Legends Tour and American Golf will work collaboratively to help improve the fan experience with interactive areas at tournaments. These interactive zones will give fans the opportunity to test different products while Legends Tour players will also be on hand to help engage and educate fans in how to enjoy the game and become a better golfer.

The golf retailer has 97 stores across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, while also offering delivery to countries across Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand. They have a wide range of golf clubs, equipment, clothing and footwear, in addition to employing more PGA Professionals than any other retailer.

Mark Aspland, Head of the Legends Tour, said: “American Golf is one of the biggest and most-respected retailers in the golf industry and today’s announcement is an exciting day for the Legends Tour.

“We are looking forward to working with the American Golf team, both to provide our fans with special discounts and opportunities, and on activations at our tournaments throughout the year.

“We see this as an opportunity for real growth for our Tour. We will be working closely with American Golf to produce engaging and innovative content and by giving them access to our players, it will benefit both American Golf in reviewing the latest equipment, while also building the profile of our players by giving them a platform to tell their story to a different audience.”

Gary Favell, CEO, American Golf, comments: “We’re excited to be a key partner in such an established tour. The Legends Tour fits perfectly with our vision of inclusivity and making golf accessible to all levels and age of player. We have a loyal following of over 50s customers and we’re looking forward to offering them added value and engagement during the many Legends Tour events.”

Global delivery service Uber Eats have teamed up with West Bromwich Albion for the duration of the Premier League season to bring great promotions and exciting competitions to Baggies fans.

Uber Eats offers the perfect way to get the food you love delivered straight to your door and has over 2,000 restaurants to choose from in the West Midlands. When you open the app, you can scroll for inspiration or search for a particular restaurant or cuisine. When you find something you like, tap to add it to your order. You can use the same payment methods you use on Uber trips and follow your order in the app.

The Partnership will also see Uber Eats continue to partner with and support restaurants in Sandwell and across the Black Country as growth continues across the UK.

Simon King, Chief Commercial Officer at West Bromwich Albion said: “Firstly I’d like to Welcome Uber Eats to the Albion Family and to our fantastic portfolio of partners. 

“They are a brand that has consolidated a strong position in the market and we’re looking forward to working with their team over the coming months.

“We have spent a considerable amount of effort updating our digital platforms in recent years, so to see that we are now geared up to deliver great relationships like this certainly justifies that investment”

Toussaint Wattinne, Head of Uber Eats UK said “We are really excited to partner with West Bromwich Albion for the 2020/2021 season to bring delicious hot food to Albion fans. 

“As fans are unable to get out to the stadiums for the time being in full capacity, we’re looking forward to bringing West Brom’s top restaurants to everyone’s sofas. As part of the partnership, we have some fantastic joint initiatives and offers lined up that we can’t wait to get started with this weekend.”

UMM, a new sports publisher created to champion professional athletes off the pitch, rather than on it, launches today.

The publisher will bring together YouTuber’s and professional athletes, with a unique proposition – empowering sport stars to showcase unseen sides of their personalities, helping them reach new audiences, and attract brands who face the challenge of appealing to the hard-to-reach YouTube generation.

How to engage Gen-Z in a meaningful way has fast become a major challenge for brands, bodies, and athletes. UMM, spearheaded by YouTuber Callux – real name Callum McGinley – will champion established athletes, and stars of the future, giving fans better access to their lives, characters, and interests through original content. Output on the flagship YouTube channel will first feature professional footballer’s, before expanding to other sports, and entertainment, later in Q1.

The venture is backed by Derek and Cannis Holder, who built one of YouTube’s biggest success stories, Little Baby Bum, which has amassed billions of views across the globe – and was acquired by British-based media company Moonbug Entertainment in 2018. The YouTube pioneers will now bring their expertise to the sports entertainment market, and launch a platform that celebrates athletes as a force for good.

UMM’s relationships with leading global talent agencies gives them unprecedented access to professional athletes . The concept has already sparked lots of interest amongst talent management leaders looking at new ways to market their portfolio of talent, and UMM has been endorsed by ICM Stellar Sports founder, Jonathan Barnett, who said:

“We are constantly looking at ways to help build the profile of our athletes and I’ve been really impressed with how UMM will position themselves alongside other sports entertainment publishers in the market. Young fans have a real appetite to get even closer to their sporting heroes, and we see working with emerging platforms like UMM as a great strategic move for our clients.”

UMM launches on YouTube this week with a high energy, comedic Top Gear inspired production titled ‘Park The Bus’. The series will feature YouTubers, including Chunkz (Soccer Aid 2020 showstopper), Calfreezy and W2S, alongside one of football’s biggest characters, Bayo Akinfenwa, and will be fronted by breakthrough sports presenter Harry Pinero. The star-studded cast will attempt to parallel park a single-decker bus in front of a goal as swiftly as possible, whilst an opponent bids to hit the back of the net as many times as possible

After Party Studios, the digital production company founded by Callux (Callum McGinley), will be responsible for content creation and distribution. The studio brings a wealth of experience, having worked with global brands, platforms, and commissioners to create original and branded content with the UK’s biggest online talent. Their vast network includes KSI, The Sidemen, Calfreezy, WillNE, and football creators like Chris MD, Manny, and Harry Pinero.

Joshua Barnett (no relation to Jonathan Barnett), MD at After Party Studios will head up the UMM operation, having been responsible for delivering market-leading content partnerships between publishers, platforms, and talent – including exec producing and distributing the KSI boxing documentary ‘Can’t Lose’ through Sony Pictures.

The UMM team also includes Christian Hurley (former Head of Strategy at Ball Street Network and XO) and Adam Boultwood (previously Head of Content at Football Daily and The Kick-Off). The duo can be credited with building some of YouTube’s biggest sporting properties in the past ten years (Football Daily, The Football Republic, XO, TKO to name a few).

Derek Holder, Investor and Adviser to UMM, said: “We know brands, athletes, and official bodies face the growing challenge of how to reach and engage with Gen-Z. We view that challenge as a big opportunity. UMM will be the place where sports stars and YouTuber’s collide in a Top Gear-esque environment – a potent mix for content-creation that humanises talent and gives fans a better view of their personalities off the pitch.”

Callux, real name Callum McGinley, said: “The impact sportsmen and sportswomen have achieved off-the-pitch this year has been truly inspirational and shows the positive impact athletes can have on people’s lives. As creators, we really feel the responsibility we have to our audiences and by joining forces with athletes, we can create something really unique that will connect with young fans. I’m excited about the content we have lined up, and believe UMM can become a real force for good.”

After Party Studios and UMM Managing Director, Joshua Barnett, said: “The recent success of Foot Asylum and Pro Direct turning their hand to YouTube demonstrates how brands can talk to this new generation. As a publisher in partnership with some of the biggest content creators and athletes on the planet, we believe we can take this to the next level. The priority is to build our brand and audience on YouTube, but our ambitions go well beyond any single platform.”

Umbro South Africa has signed new long-term partnership as the official technical sponsor of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) for the next four years.

The partnership will see Umbro supply both men’s and women’s national teams with high-performance match kit, training and off field apparel, as well as equipment as the reigning CECAFA Cup champions join seven other African nations in wearing the double diamond – increasing the brand’s sponsorship portfolio to thirty-four clubs and eight national teams across the continent.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations and their affiliated teams”, says Umbro South Africa’s CEO, David Ricketts. “Umbro is passionate about the support of African football at all levels and we trust this partnership will transcend beyond kit sponsorship into a meaningful relationship for the team, our brand, and the broader African football community.”

Speaking on the partnership, FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo says: “Our vision is to become the number one football nation in Africa, on and off the field. FUFA is always looking at creating new partnerships with strong brands. It was therefore simple to choose Umbro.”

“Umbro has a rich lineage in sports, particularly Football. For many years now, it has been showing its dedication and commitment to producing quality products all over the world. The continual improvement of the Uganda National Football Teams has left fans yearning for more and I am confident that the new kits will excite fans much more. The designs are matching the latest global trends and we look forward to unveiling these kits within the new year.”