8:57 am, November 3, 2023
Vertu Motors has added to its impressive portfolio of sports sponsorships after agreeing a landmark deal with the English Football League.
The partnership will see the EFL Trophy – the domestic cup competition for clubs in Leagues One and Two – rebranded as the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with immediate effect.
Vertu will also become the Official Car Dealer of the EFL as part of a deal that runs until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Boss Robert Forrester said the opportunity for the Bristol Street Motors brand to put its name to the trophy was ‘too good to turn down’.
The deal represents a significant landmark for the publicly listed group, which started out as a single dealership in Birmingham.
Speaking about the new partnership, Forrester said: ‘As a national business, Bristol Street Motors is hugely proud of the connections we have developed with communities across the UK through our dealership network.
‘Across the communities, football is something that brings people together, so the opportunity to join forces with the EFL and clubs that are such an important part of life for our customers was something that was simply too good to turn down.
‘We are hugely excited to be named as title sponsor of the EFL Trophy and look forward to engaging with clubs and fans over the next three years to make the competition bigger and better than ever before.’
Bristol Street Motors is the latest in a long line of sponsors for the trophy, following the likes of LDV Vans, Johnstone’s Paint, Leasing.com and Papa John’s Pizza.
The competition has proved hugely controversial in recent years, with selected under-21 sides invited to take part since 2016.
Despite proving unpopular with fans, the change has seen several current England internationals given their professional debuts in the competition.
The EFL’s chief executive, Trevor Birch, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Bristol Street Motors as title sponsor of the EFL Trophy in a partnership that sees further investment in League One and Two clubs over the duration of the deal.
‘With almost 22 million supporters coming through the turnstiles in all our competitions last year, a thriving community network and a landmark broadcast deal in place for next season which will see all Bristol Street Motors Trophy fixtures broadcast live by Sky Sports, the appeal of the EFL continues to go from strength to strength, offering a unique, valuable platform for our commercial partners.’
The final of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy will take place at Wembley on April 7.
Bosses will be hoping for a record crowd, breaking the record 85,021 people who watched Portsmouth’s penalty shoot-out win over Sunderland in 2019.
