Luton Town mark long-awaited top flight appearance with biggest ever sponsorship deal

Avatar
Luton Town & Utilita
Image credit: Luton Town

Newly-promoted English Premier League side Luton Town has continued its strong bond with British energy supplier Utilita, confirming them as its front shirt sponsor for the 2023/24 season.

The deal will allow Utilita to feature on the front of all three of the Hatters’ playing shirts.

Under the arrangement Utilita, with its charity arm Utilita Giving, they have also committed to donating around $4 AUD to local charities for every hatters shirt sold. This will likely lead to major donations to local groups such as Luton Foodbank.

Utilita is the UK’s leading Smart Pay As You Go Energy Supplier serving over 800,000 customers. Their speciality is pay as you go metering and they were the first company in the UK to do so in 2003.

Utilita has a long history of sponsoring English football sides and has had a relationship with the Hatters since 2015 when the two joined as partners. The relationship was elevated in February 2022 when the Hatters made Utilita their front of shirt sponsor.

In announcing the new deal Luton Town CEO Gary Sweet spoke of the loyalty and alignment between the two partners.

“Loyal relationships in the world of football business can often be difficult to find and then preserve, so we are immensely proud to announce this agreement which will also aid three charities who undertake magnificent support to those in need in our local community,” he said via press release.

“While this represents a landmark shirt sponsorship deal in our long history, we feel it is important to recognise the strength of the relationship we have fostered together with Utilita over the past eight years.

“Therefore, it gives us great pleasure in knowing that a partnership – which began in League Two – will continue in the top-flight next season.”

Jem Maidment, Chief Marketing Officer at Utilita, spoke of their pleasure at sponsoring the new Premier League side emphasising the journey between the two since 2015.

“Luton and Utilita have forged a terrific relationship over the past few years. Both have challenged the status quo, faced adversity, and got stronger with each passing year,” they added via press release.

“Back in 2015 Luton were in League Two, and Utilita had 150,000 customers. Now Luton are in the Premier League and Utilita are one of Britain’s leading energy suppliers, with more than 800,000 customers and rising.

“The Hatters’ journey over the past ten years to the Premier League is possibly the greatest football story of the 21st Century. We consider it an absolute privilege to have our logo on the famous orange shirt as we continue our journey together into a fantastic new era in the club’s history.

“I’m also delighted that Utilita Giving will be working with the club to support households in fuel and food poverty, as we ramp up our commitment to help those that need it most in Luton and the surrounding area.”

This season will mark Luton Town’s first in the top flight since 1991/92 and it is great to see the club maintaining its loyalty and connecting with the sponsors who’ve helped its meteoric rise from non-league football to the Premier League.

The connection with charities and the community focus of Utilita in providing affordable energy access will also be met with applause from fans as many are feeling cost of living pressures.

This new deal is not only a huge win for the community club but also another win for the Luton community who now know they not only have a Premier League side in their town but also one that even with success won’t forget the community who raised it.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Two NPL VIC clubs receive funding boost from State Budget

Avatar
Image credit: Football Victoria

Following the announcement of the 2026 Victoria State Budget, Avondale FC and Hume City FC will both receive major backing for facility upgrades.

 

Valuable support for future projects

Avondale and Hume City now have immensely valuable financial support for infrastructure and facility upgrade projects.

Avondale will see an injection of $500,000 for lighting developments at its home ground, Avenger Park. Meanwhile, Hume City FC, will receive $250,000 to further improve its home ground, Nasiol Stadium, which opened in 2009.

Both clubs expressed their delight at the funding from the State Labor Government, and what the backing may bring to club facilities and overall development going forward.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Victorian Government and Sheena Watt for their support through this $500,000 lighting upgrade investment, which will have a lasting impact on our players, families and the wider Avondale community,” said Avondale Club President, Stephen Strano.

“We have hundreds of players across all age groups utilising these facilities each week, and these improvements will help create an even strong environment for excellence, participation, and community engagement,” outlined Hume City President, Ersan Gülüm.

As a result of these respective investments, both NPL VIC outfits appear set for incredibly opportunities to modernise, develop and strengthen their club infrastructure.

 

Lighting the path to a brighter future

The investments will see features such as lighting upgrades improve facility access for men’s and women’s teams, and LED scoreboards become part of a more modern matchday experiences going forward.

For both clubs, however, lighting upgrades are about more than keeping a pitch open late at night. Improved lighting is a means to a more accessible and supportive future in which both the men’s and women’s teams can utliise local facilities, and matchdays can take place in the excitement of playing ‘under the lights’.

And as Football Victoria CEO, Dan Birrell, highlighted, the improvements made to club facilities are benchmarks for the wider Victorian football community.

“Both Avondale and Hume City are pillars in the Victorian football landscape,” Birrell stated via press release.

“Professional level facilities like Avenger Park and Nasiol Stadium are critical for the development of Victorian football and Football Victoria welcomes the news that they will continue to improve thanks to the support of the Victorian State Government.”

 

More must follow

While the investments from the State Government come as welcome updates for these two clubs, there is still plenty more to be done to evenly develop facilities and infrastructure across Victoria’s football landscape.

Indeed, Avondale FC and Hume City FC are two fantastic community clubs who will no doubt put the funding towards impactful improvements.

But there are plenty more who still need external backing to build infrastructure not just for now, but for future seasons to come.

Football Community Supports Ange Goutzioulis Following MND Diagnosis

Avatar
Image Credit: One Nil Media

At just 52 years old, former National Soccer League player Ange Goutzioulis stood in front of a packed room at the Chisholm United launch night in Oakleigh and spoke about something no one ever expects to hear: a diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease.

But rather than retreat into silence, Goutzioulis chose to speak openly. He spoke not just about the disease itself, but about the reality of living with it, the uncertainty ahead and why awareness matters more than ever.

 

Early stages

For years, football was part of Goutzioulis’ identity. Coaching, movement and routine were all things that once felt natural. Then slowly, something changed.

“I couldn’t even stand properly… I was losing my balance,” he explained.

At first, the signs were confusing rather than alarming. A couple of falls. Difficulty moving. Hospital visits and tests.

“They said, ‘You haven’t got cancer, you haven’t got MS and you haven’t got MND,’” he recalled.

But the symptoms continued worsening. Eventually, further neurological testing revealed the diagnosis: Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

The confirmation came quickly.

“They called it after two or three minutes… they saw the machines and basically said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got MND.’”

The shock was immediate.

So too was the reality.

 

Understanding Motor Neuron Disease

Motor Neuron Disease is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the nerves controlling movement, gradually taking away the ability to walk, speak, swallow and eventually breathe.

There is currently no cure.

For many Australians, awareness of MND remains limited until it touches someone close to them. Goutzioulis now finds himself confronting not only the physical decline, but the emotional weight of understanding what lies ahead.

“There’s no way to stop it… it’s going to kill me,” he said honestly.

Even breakthrough treatments tomorrow, he acknowledged, may come too late for him personally.

Yet despite the enormity of that reality, his focus has already shifted beyond himself.

 

Fighting for awareness while fighting the disease

What stood out throughout the evening was not despair, but resilience.

Goutzioulis spoke candidly about refusing to surrender mentally to the disease. Against medical advice centred around conserving energy and managing fatigue, he continues trying to stay active.

“I keep walking,” he said.

“I’ve got a theory in life that if you work out and keep moving, maybe [your] muscles won’t waste away as quick.”

Whether medically proven or not, the mentality reflects something deeper: a refusal to let MND define every remaining moment.

There was also optimism in the small victories.

Doctors believe he may have already been living with the disease for three years — longer than expected given his current condition.

“That’s a positive,” he said. “So, I’ll take it day by day.”

Image Credit: One Nil Media

Football’s power beyond the pitch

The event itself quickly transformed from a club launch into something more profound: a reminder of football’s ability to rally around people during their hardest moments.

As speakers addressed the room, one message became clear — Goutzioulis is not facing this battle alone.

“There’s probably 100 people here,” said Bill Kosmopoulos, who was hosting the discussion,

“I guarantee there’s 100 people cheering for you, 100 people that would do anything to find a solution for MND.”

In community football, conversations are usually dominated by results, signings, tactics and ambition. But nights like this reveal another side of the game entirely.

Connection.

Humanity.

Support.

By speaking publicly, Goutzioulis gave a deeply confronting disease a human face. Not statistics. Not headlines. A person. A father. A football figure. Someone trying to process what it means to slowly lose control of their own body while still showing up for the people around them.

That vulnerability is precisely why awareness matters.

Because awareness drives conversation.

Conversation drives funding.

And funding drives research that could one day change outcomes for future families facing the same diagnosis.

Image Credit: One Nil Media

“We’re behind you”

As the night closed, the room rose behind him.

Showing admiration for someone willing to confront unimaginable news publicly in the hope it helps others understand the devastating reality of MND.

“On behalf of everyone… thank you so much mate,” one speaker told him.

“We’re behind you.”

Support and raising awareness for the disease is what matters.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend