8:31 am, November 22, 2024
Vertu Motors has begun it plan to kill of the Bristol Street Motors name by rebranding one of its most high-profile sponsorship deals.
The Car Dealer Top 100 retailer last year agreed a deal with the English Football League to sponsor the EFL Trophy, which was last season won by Peterborough United.
Since the deal was signed last November, the competition has been known as the ‘Bristol Street Motors Trophy’ but a rebrand has now been announced with immediate effect.
Going forward, the tournament will be called the ‘Vertu Trophy’ as part of the automotive retailer’s multi-year partnership with the EFL.
It comes after it was announced in October that both the Bristol Street Motors and Macklin Motors names would be axed, with all dealerships to instead be branded as Vertu.
Earlier this year Bristol Street Motors celebrated its 100th birthday but the name will not be used going forward.
Ben Wright, the EFL’s chief commercial officer, said: ‘Vertu have contributed significantly to the ongoing success of the competition and have made a lasting impact in communities by supporting accessible football with ticket initiatives.
‘Trophy attendances contributed strongly to the EFL’s status as the highest attended league body in Europe last season, and with every Vertu Trophy match live on Sky Sports this season, the exposure for the competition will continue on an upward trajectory.’
Robert Forrester, chief executive officer at Vertu, said: ‘Our partnership with the EFL has been a huge success over the past twelve months, allowing us to engage with community groups across the country and including one of the most dramatic finals in competition history at Wembley Stadium back in April.
‘As our business evolves to operate under one brand, we look forward to continuing to work alongside the EFL to drive the Vertu Trophy forwards, and are interested to see what fixtures emerge from Friday’s draw for the Round of 32.’
The final of the Vertu Trophy will take place at Wembley on April 7 with bosses hoping for a stellar crowd. The current record stands at 85,021, which was achieved when Portsmouth beat Sunderland on penalties in the 2019 final (highlights below).
