Vertu Goes Through The Gears With Birmingham City FC Partnership
Vertu will play an important role in supporting Birmingham City’s transformation, and ambition to be a beacon of excellence for the city on a global stage, after entering a new, multi-year strategic partnership with the EFL Sky Bet League One side.
The decision to join forces with the Blues comes at an exciting time for the award-winning automotive retailer group as it enters a new era with the consolidation of its three existing retail brands under one name: Vertu.
Those three brands include Bristol Street Motors, which was founded on Bristol Street in Birmingham back in 1924. That original dealership is located little more than two miles away from Birmingham City’s home ground and will be rebranded under the Vertu name by the end of April 2025.
In total, Vertu has nearly 20 sites located across the West Midlands, including Ford dealerships in Shirley and Kings Norton, a Mazda dealership in Redditch, and Citroen and BYD sites in Worcester; the latter being one of the newest additions to the Group.
Vertu, which is an official partner of the EFL through its role as title sponsor of the EFL Trophy, becomes the latest major brand to enter into a strategic partnership with the Club since the investment by Knighthead Capital Management.
Vertu joins Nike, UNDEFEATED, Heineken and Delta Airlines as a partner of the Club,
The strategic partnership between Vertu and Birmingham City will include extensive branding both inside and outside St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, whilst Vertu Score Alerts will keep supporters at home up to speed with updates at both half-time and full-time of each match on the Club’s social media channels.
A crucial part of the relationship will see Vertu work together with Birmingham City on a range of community programmes, supporting the Club in making a positive impact across the city, and the wider Midlands area.
Vertu will become the presenting partner of the new BCFC Primary Schools Cup, a competition that will see teams from over 100 different primary schools do battle to make it to the final – which is scheduled to be the centre piece of an event at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
Birmingham City Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, said: “We are delighted to add Vertu to our fast-growing roster of blue-chip partners. It is an amazing company, and we share many of the same values.
“Most importantly we share a passion for Birmingham and making a positive impact on the communities that call the city home. Through our collective efforts we are making sure that Birmingham is on the rise again.”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “Birmingham is a city that has an important role to play in our history, and as the business evolves and we move into a new era, we are hugely excited to announce our partnership with Birmingham City FC.
“From the first conversation we had with the Club, it was clear to see that we share the same drive and desire to work with the local community, and to take a central role in Birmingham’s regeneration, in addition to supporting the wider West Midlands.
"For us, this partnership is about more than what happens on the pitch, and alongside supporting the first team as it seeks to achieve promotion to the Championship, we are looking forward to working with the Club to have a lasting and positive impact on the city.”
The partnership with Birmingham City is the second for Vertu in the West Midlands region, with the company being title backer of the EXCELR8 British Touring Car Championship team, which operates from a workshop in nearby Droitwich.
Having first joined forces back in 2021, the partnership has delivered huge success both on and off track, with three seasons as title sponsor delivering 20 wins and more than 50 podium finishes – as well as the 2022 championship title with driver Tom Ingram.
Team VERTU will once again race in Britain’s premier racing series in 2025, with a four-car programme having already been confirmed.