Manchester United announces partnership with Laybuy

Manchester United has signed a partnership with Laybuy to become the official buy now, pay later partner of the club.

The partnership was announced on Tuesday and has been signalled as move that will improve accessibility for UK football fans.

Manchester United said that the deal gives its fans a chance to use the new and interest-free payment option when buying merchandise to support the club.

“At Laybuy, we share our customers’ obsession with football, and we want to help as many fans as we can enjoy and celebrate the game. That is why we are incredibly excited to be partnering with Manchester United, who have some of the most passionate fans in the world,” Laybuy co-founder and managing director Gary Rohloff said about the partnership in a statement.

“We want to make life as easy as possible for Manchester United’s fans. Laybuy is simple to use and helps fans fit new merchandise into their weekly budgets by allowing them to buy goods now and spread the payments over the following six weeks.

“Best of all, Laybuy customers don’t pay interest, ever!”

Thanks to the partnership fans will now be able to use Laybuy to buy merchandise at Manchester United’s club megastore at Old Trafford. The Laybuy app allows users to provide payments in interest-free installments over six weeks.

The service will also be able to be used on the club’s online store, United Direct for this season. Laybuy will also seek to offer its services across some of Manchester United’s other retail platforms from next year.

“We know fans are looking for a range of different payment options that best meet their specific needs,” Manchester United’s director of partnerships, Sean Jefferson said in a statement on the club’s website.

“That is why we are delighted to be partnering with Laybuy, a global leader in Buy Now Pay Later technology, to provide fans access to a more convenient way of purchasing club merchandise and services.”

Manchester United said that further details about LayBuy were available on the company’s website.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

Football Victoria launches inaugural Club State Championships amid World Cup fever

Football Victoria (FV) has unveiled the inaugural Victorian Club State Championships, a new statewide tournament set to transform the winter football calendar and provide a major platform for emerging talent across the state.

Taking place from July 2–5 at The Home of The Matildas, the event will coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026 period. This alignment a strategic move aimed at capitalising on heightened global football engagement.

The tournament will feature both boys’ and girls’ teams from U9 through to U17 age groups, bringing together clubs from Advanced and Community competitions in a bid to crown Victoria’s best-performing clubs across each division.

A statewide stage for club football

In what shapes as a major addition to the Victorian football landscape, the championships are designed to create a high-level tournament environment outside regular league competition. This offering players valuable exposure to knockout football, elevated match intensity and cross-league competition.

Football Victoria described the event as a celebration of the “strength, depth and talent” within the state’s football ecosystem, while also positioning it as a unique opportunity for clubs to test themselves against opponents they would not typically face throughout the season.

The decision to host the competition at The Home of The Matildas further reinforces FV’s intention to elevate the stature of the event, utilising one of Australia’s premier football facilities as the centrepiece of the tournament.

Creating a World Cup atmosphere in Victoria

FV believes the timing of the championships, running during the FIFA World Cup, will help generate a carnival-like atmosphere around the game at grassroots and pathway level.

Each participating team will play a minimum of four matches, with assistant referees appointed from U12 onwards. Disciplinary outcomes will also carry into regular season records, adding further competitive weight to the tournament structure.

Importantly, academy-only and social teams will not be eligible, reinforcing the event’s focus on recognised club pathways and structured competition.

A new piece in Football Victoria’s long-term strategy

The launch of the Victorian Club State Championships comes as Football Victoria continues to reshape and modernise its competition structures across both elite and community football, with the governing body placing greater emphasis on player development, competitive alignment and statewide engagement initiatives.

For clubs, the tournament presents not only the opportunity to compete for silverware, but also a rare chance to benchmark themselves against the broader Victorian football landscape during one of the sport’s biggest global moments.

With registrations now open, the Victorian Club State Championships could quickly become one of the most anticipated additions to the state football calendar.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend