It is not very often that a club are forced to change their sponsor just as the new season is about to kick off, but that is exactly what has happened to Burnley. On Friday, Burnley ripped up their deal with Finotive One, which describes itself as a 'trading ecosystem', just 42 days after it was signed. While the club have not responded to specific questions about the how and why, it is likely to come at a considerable cost.
Full refunds or exchanges have been offered to fans who have bought the 2026-27 home and away shirts with Finotive One on the front. Only two weeks ago, the new cream away shirt had been unveiled to huge fanfare via a star-studded promotional video. It featured former NFL player and minority investor JJ Watt, ex-England cricketer James Anderson and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The promotional video is now obsolete, while shirts have been taken off the club's website and they will not be available at the shop before Sunday's season opener at home to West Ham United. Maybe some will keep their shirts as a collectors' item, but most will likely take up the offer of shirt adorned with new sponsor, UK-wide car dealership Vertu motors. Championship club-by-club preview West Ham's boardroom battle on eve of Championship season How will relegated trio fare in the Championship?
Eagle-eyed fans were already joining the dots on Thursday after Sky Sports' promo for Sunday's match showed Kyle Walker in a Burnley shirt without a sponsor. After all, Burnley had played throughout pre-season wearing kits with Finotive One across the front. Even last Saturday, as Burnley hosted Notts County in the first round of the Carabao Cup, the logo was emblazoned across the jersey.
Then it was noticed that all news stories relating to the Finotive One deal had been removed from Burnley's official website. And on Friday morning, Burnley confirmed the deal had been scrapped "to protect the club's interests, and those of our supporters". It is not the first time the Lancashire club have faced problems with their shirt sponsorship.
LoveBet, an Asian betting brand, signed a three-year deal but was replaced after just two years after running into financial difficulties. That happened just after the club had been bought by AIK Capital in December 2020. Facing criticism about an association with gambling, new chairman Alan Pace wrote on X that it would be looked at "as part of the overall commercial strategy for the club".
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