Leeds United sign first-ever sleeve sponsorship deal

Daniel Foley27/08/2020 8:00 am27/08/2020

Leeds United and JD have signed a sponsorship deal, with the sports fashion company to become the official sleeve sponsor of the club for the 2020/21 Premier League season.

The agreement marks the first time that Leeds has had a sleeve sponsorship. JD’s logo will be visible on the left arm of Leeds’ men’s and women’s kits.

“We are excited to partner with Leeds United ahead of their return to the Premier League. With the level of support and impact the Club has on the local community, as well as through its global fanbase, it’s great to see them back and for JD to be a part of the journey,” Chairman of JD Sports Fashion PLC, Peter Cowgill, said regarding the partnership.

Leeds United Executive Director Paul Bell said that he was looking forward to working with JD in what will be an important partnership for both organisations.

“JD are one of the most recognised names on the high street and we’re delighted to enter into this new strategic partnership with them. The sponsorship market in the Premier League is as intense and competitive as ever and we are excited to be working with JD on our return to the top flight,” Paul Bell said in a statement.

“We have successfully grown our retail operations over the last two years, increasing the number of official stores, upgrading our eCommerce platform and expanding our ranges of match and replica kit, training and leisure apparel. The JD Group now has over 2,300 stores across 19 International territories including key markets such as Asia, USA and Australia and this new agreement will help the Club gain increased global visibility.”

The deal was signed after the initial release of Leeds United’s replica kit for the 2020/21 season. Fans who bought the kit before the signing of new deal will be able to get the JD logo printed on their shirts at a number of JD stores or at a Leeds United official store.

The new sponsorship deal follows the announcement of a partnership with Adidas in which the sportswear company became the official kit partner of the club for the next five years.

Leeds United also signed their largest ever commercial deal with sports betting company SBOTOP earlier this month.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.