West Yorkshire based Leading Edge Signage and Graphics has announced a three-year stadium naming rights deal with Northern Premier League football club Liversedge FC
The long-term partnership will see Leading Edge, which is headquartered in Liversedge and one of the UK’s biggest signage and graphics manufacturers with 45 employees, become a principal partner and provide essential financial support that will greatly benefit the club.
The home of Liversedge Football Club will be officially renamed as the Leading Edge Clayborn Stadium from 27 July 2023, in line with the start of the 2023/24 season.
The stadium, fondly referred to by supporters as Clayborn, is situated on Quaker Lane in Hightown.
As part of the deal, Leading Edge will comprehensively renovate all directional and information signage and branding across the stadium, both externally and internally. The firm will install a suite of 100 new signs to create a fresh and dynamic visual experience for fans and visitors on the approach to, and within, the stadium. The newly installed signage will include perimeter boards dedicated to sponsors, offering them prominent visibility within the stadium.
Additionally, Leading Edge will provide a graphic design and artwork service to businesses wishing to take out perimeter board sponsorship, ensuring uniformity and consistency in the stadium’s branding. This service will also streamline the process of creating captivating advertisements for sponsors.
Matthew Evans, managing director of Leading Edge, said:
“Supporting the local community has always been at the forefront of our values and this partnership is also important to me on a personal level – I grew up on Quaker Lane and have fond memories of watching matches from being a teenager into adulthood.
“Investing in the stadium and the club further strengthens our ties to the area and supports our aims of creating a positive impact on the local economy while fostering a sense of pride among our employees. We look forward to working closely with the club, players and fans to achieve shared success and create a brighter future for all, both on and off the field.”
Sharon Osborne, the co-owner of Liversedge FC co-owner added: “We are delighted to announce this significant milestone in our journey as a football club. When we had the opportunity to meet Matthew and his team, it became apparent that they would be a perfect partner for the club as a long-established, successful local business.
“Their involvement plays a pivotal role in propelling us towards our long-term stability goals and represents a strong vote of confidence in our vision and ambitions for the future of the club.
“The additional resources provided through this agreement will allow us to invest in key areas of our operations, including player development, infrastructure enhancements and fan experiences. It opens up exciting opportunities for growth and enables us to create an even more vibrant and thriving football community.”
This partnership follows Leading Edge’s successful partnerships with professional and semi-professional clubs in the area including Bradford City FC, underlining the firm’s ongoing commitment to supporting local sports organisations.
More info about Leading Edge and Liversedge FC
Established in 2007 by Matthew Evans, Leading Edge Signage and Graphics is one of the UK’s largest signage manufacturers, offering a wide range of bespoke signage and graphics solutions from directional and information signs to eye-catching graphics and branding elements.
The firm has three manufacturing hubs in Liversedge, Gomersal and Batley, West Yorkshire, which include an in-house design studio, laser cutting, powder coating and wet spraying facilities. It also has a London office and employs a number of fitting teams from its 45 staff, who work across the UK.
Its clients include large high street retailers, hospitality groups and construction companies with global brands including McDonalds, SkyBet and Haribo.
The company has forecasted £5m in turnover this year, a growth of £1.5m in the past year alone. In the past 12 months it has £1m invested into equipment including an Agfa Tauro S 3.2m wide-format inkjet printer to significantly boost its capacity.
About Liversedge Football Club
Liversedge Football Club was founded in 1910 following the demise of the old Liversedge Rugby Club. Liversedge FC started in the Bradford League for three years and won it in the 1920/21 season.
The club was a founder member of the West Riding County Amateur League in season 1922-23 and went on to be the most successful club in the league’s infancy, taking the league title three times in the first five seasons (1923/24,1925/26,1926/27) and again in (1964/65,1965/66).
The long association with the County Amateur League was maintained until the early 1970s by which time the club had kept up their position as a top local side and winning it in 1968-69 season. The decision was taken to apply for membership of the Yorkshire League and the club’s acceptance for season 1972/73 was followed by immediate promotion from Division Three.
Whilst not winning trophies around this time, success did come the club’s way as promotion to Yorkshire League Division One was achieved prior to the amalgamation of the Midland and Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982. The early years in the new set-up saw Liversedge struggle both on and off the pitch but good strides were made in the late 1980s.
The 2021/22 season is full of potential for The Sedge as we enter a new phase in the Northern Premier League, with further additions to the squad and more improvements off the field, the future is bright the future is Sedge.
