F&C joins the Premier League with Birmingham City

F&C is pleased to announce it is to be the principal sponsor of Birmingham City Football Club, whose recent success has won them a place in the Premier League.

The sponsorship deal, which officially starts next month and continues for the next three seasons, will include shirt sponsorship, dominant stadium signage and a range of other club activities.

F&C has had a long association with football through its third year sponsoring the League Managers Association, the union for football managers, as well as a partnership with Hibernian FC. F&C believes this latest deal with Birmingham City is the perfect venture given the club's strong presence in the community and its loyal supporter base.

Commenting on the partnership, John Yule, Head of Retail Distribution at F&C, said: "Birmingham City has long been known as a very 'community focused' football club whose brand values and aspirations to succeed, we believe, closely match our own. We are delighted they have been rewarded with a promotion to the Premier League.

"We will work closely with the club and their supporter base, and we intend to support Birmingham City's extensive community programme. We will also look for opportunities for financial advisers to get involved with the club and football.

"Football is unquestionably the most popular sport in the UK and as such appeals to the majority of our client base. Its popularity makes sponsorship a very powerful tool for raising the company's profile by offering unrivalled and unique brand awareness opportunities for more than 40 weeks a year on a local, national as well as an international level."

Karren Brady, Managing Director of Birmingham City FC, commented: "I am very excited to be able to confirm F&C Investments as our new principal partner for the next three seasons. We have now reached the stage where a fresh, even more dynamic and lucrative sponsorship was essential to our continued development."