Bristol City have confirmed that the Robins Foundation will adorn the front of their shirts for the remainder of the 2024/25 season after Bristol Sport’s sponsorship deal with Huboo was axed with immediate effect.
The Ashton Gate-based sports firm confirmed on Thursday evening that they had ended their sponsorship deal with the firm after they had ‘failed to fulfil the terms of the sponsorship agreement’.
City’s men’s and women’s teams, as well as both Bristol Bears sides, have been sporting the Huboo logo on the front of their shirts for the last three-and-a-half seasons after Bristol Sport and the firm entered into a landmark deal almost exactly three years ago in February 2022. The deal was the first of its kind in Bristol, with the same business sponsoring all of Bristol Sport’s teams.
The firm, which expanded rapidly, recently opened a large facility next to the M4 at Chippenham and has its base in Corn Street in the centre of Bristol. However, just before Christmas, the company suddenly hit financial trouble and its founders and managers appointed administrators and the firm was sold to investors, which managed to save it from collapse.
That deal appears to have caused issues for the sponsorship at Ashton Gate with Bristol Sport calling time on the deal. With the space on the front of the Reds’ shirts now empty, City’s own charity, the Robins Foundation, will be present on the kits of both Liam Manning and Steve Kirby’s side between now and the end of the campaign.
The men’s side have 14 games left of their Championship season, starting with Saturday lunchtime’s clash with Severnside rivals Cardiff City in South Wales. Kirby’s Vixens have eight games left of their league campaign and are hoping to win promotion back to the Women’s Super League at the first time of asking.
Bristol Sport’s chief executive Gavin Marshall said: “We are delighted to have the Robins Foundation front and centre of the match shirts for our men and women’s first teams.
“The Foundation is integral to Bristol City and our sporting group. This visibility will continue to raise awareness of the Foundation’s life-changing work to tackle inequality and key issues across Bristol – from improving education and employability to promoting health, wellbeing, and social inclusion.”
Robins Foundation CEO Dan White added: “This season’s kit was launched by our associate teams, featuring players from our community-based programmes. “We are delighted to now be represented on the front of the club shirts as the club continues its support of the Foundation and the vital work we do in the community. “Along with the Foundation matchdays against Sheffield United (March 30th) and Watford (April 5th) later in the season, having the logo on the match shirts is a further opportunity to engage even more fans, partners, and local organisations in our mission to create real change.”