Shorts: Robbie Williams, Liverpool FC, Surrey Cricket Club

Port Vale have partnered with pop star Robbie Williams, who has become a charity ambassador and shirt sponsor for the club.

The two-year deal will see his RW mark feature on the front of the home and away shirts of the League Two club. Williams, who has supported Port Vale since childhood, has also committed to using his profile to promote the club’s charitable work.

The singer has praised the work of chair Carol Shanahan in establishing a backroom operation, which has encouraged his return to the club. Port Vale Foundation, for which Williams has now become an ambassador, has continued to deliver health, education, and inclusion projects across Stoke-on-Trent.

Robbie Williams, Shirt Sponsor of Port Vale, said, “It feels pretty incredible, to be honest. Robbie Williams, on the front of a Port Vale shirt – it’s a match made in heaven for me.”

Matt Hancock, Chief Executive Officer of Port Vale, said, “He is not only a global superstar, but also a genuine supporter of the club with a deep and personal connection to our town.”

Liverpool FC have appointed Hannah Pym as senior vice-president, marketing and digital, overseeing the club’s marketing, media, technology and fan engagement operations.

Pym will be responsible for leading Liverpool’s marketing, media, product, technology, fan services and fan experience teams, with the role based at the club’s headquarters in Liverpool.

She joins from The Hut Group, where she held a senior executive position and worked across digital growth, brand development and product strategy in multiple international markets.

The appointment comes as Premier League clubs continue to expand their digital operations and direct-to-consumer offerings, with commercial revenues and global fan engagement becoming increasingly important drivers of growth across English football.

Liverpool remain one of the most followed football clubs globally, with digital and media platforms playing a growing role in supporter engagement, content distribution and commercial partnerships.

Pym said: “It’s a huge honour to join Liverpool Football Club, one of the most iconic and recognised brands in world sport.

“I’m incredibly excited to lead the talented teams across the club’s marketing and digital functions, and the opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of this great club’s growth and innovation is something truly special. I can’t wait to get started.”

Liverpool chief commercial officer Ben Latty said: “We’re delighted to welcome Hannah to LFC at such an important time for the club’s continued growth. Her experience across marketing, media, digital and technology makes her an outstanding addition to our leadership team.“

Pym is due to join Liverpool later this month.

Surrey CCC have appointed Jenny Mitton and Elena Narozanski as Non Executive Directors following a review of the Board’s composition and skills requirements.

The appointments took effect on 10 June 2026 and follow the departure of Ros Trinick, who left the Board in February to join the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The recruitment process was undertaken after an assessment of the Board’s skills matrix. Surrey’s Nomination Committee, operating in line with Club Rules and the England and Wales Cricket Board County Governance Framework, reviewed the Board’s composition before recommending both candidates for appointment.

Mitton specialises in women’s sport and works as a consultant for organisations including FIFA and World Rugby. She also serves as Women’s Sport Lead at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, where she has worked on projects including the NatWest and England and Wales Cricket Board Cricket Has No Boundaries campaign and the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament.

Narozanski works for HENI, an international art services company, delivering projects across the fine art sector. Her previous roles have included positions at No.10 Downing Street, the Greater London Authority and the Home Office. Alongside her professional career, she represented England in boxing and currently serves on the boards of Sport England and the Sport Honours Committee. She also plays cricket for Spencer CC and recently completed an England and Wales Cricket Board coaching qualification.

The appointments come as cricket continues to implement governance reforms across the professional and recreational game, with county clubs working to strengthen board diversity and broaden expertise in line with England and Wales Cricket Board governance standards.

JSW Sports’ Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) has partnered with sports technology company Feldspar to deploy Asia’s first sensor-embedded smart surface track.

The agreement will see the installation of a 45-metre Feldspar smart surface track within the IIS High Performance Centre. The modular system integrates track surfaces with embedded sensors that capture real-time three-dimensional ground reaction force and biomechanical data on every footstep.

The technology will provide coaches and athletes with feedback on performance metrics including speed, acceleration, stride length, and reaction times. The initiative is part of a plan to establish a data-driven athletic development programme, with the potential to build an integrated athletics movement database.

Alvina Chen, Founder and CEO of Feldspar, said, “What we are building is more than just a faster track to optimise human performance. We are creating a new way to understand how athletes move, load and perform, while opening up new opportunities in sports data and fan engagement.”

Manisha Malhotra, President of Inspire Institute of Sport, said, “This technology allows our High Performance team to work with a level of precision and insight that truly sets a new benchmark – not just for IIS, but for athletics across Asia.”

Irish Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne has secured a brand sponsorship deal with global financial solutions firm Ebury.

The 20 year old Alpine Academy driver will race for Rodin Motorsport, who have agreed to display the Ebury logo on the front wing of Dunne’s car for the 2026 season. The partnership represents the fintech brand’s first foreign exchange sponsorship.

The agreement has arrived after a 2025 Formula 2 campaign for Dunne, who has secured two race wins, two pole positions and eight podium finishes. The Irish driver has also gained Formula 1 experience after completing practice sessions with McLaren.

Ebury has continued to expand its sports sponsorship portfolio, having recently signed agreements with football clubs Aston Villa, Olympique de Marseille and FC Copenhagen.

Alex Dunne, Driver, Alpine Academy, said, “I’m really happy to have a global company as big as Ebury join me at this early stage in my career. Their confidence, trust and support in me has been incredible. Whilst Ebury continues to quickly innovate and provide new solutions to international payments, I will do my best to provide results on the track.”