Robbie Williams Becomes Sponsor and Shirt Logo for Boyhood Club Port Vale

British pop star Robbie Williams, formerly the lead singer of Take That, was announced on Saturday as the new sponsor of Port Vale, the football club he has supported since childhood. His initials, RW, will appear on the team’s shirts, and he will also serve as the club’s ambassador.

Williams grew up near the home ground of one of England’s oldest clubs and said the deal feels deeply personal. “It’s a match made in heaven,” he said, adding that he used to attend Port Vale matches when tickets cost 50 pence. “It was a childhood dream,” he said.

The singer has already appeared at Port Vale’s stadium in the past and was previously named the club’s honorary president, but this new arrangement marks a more significant commercial partnership. Williams said, “The feeling is wonderful, I’m part of the Port Vale family. It is an authentic match in every sense.”

The article notes that such partnerships between English musicians and the clubs they support are not unusual, pointing to Ed Sheeran’s well-known link with Ipswich, now a Premier League newcomer.