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Stevenage FC, SPORTA launch flagship partnership with naming of SPORTA Arena

Thursday, August 20, 2026 — 15:16:55 (UTC)

Stevenage FC and SPORTA launch flagship partnership with naming of SPORTA Arena

New collaboration marks Stevenage FC’s 50th anniversary year and establishes the Club as SPORTA’s flagship football partner that puts financial infrastructure at the heart of sport

STEVENAGE / LONDON, Thursday 20th August 2026 - SPORTA, who is building the financial home for sport - founded by ClearBank co-founder Andrew Smith - and Stevenage FC today announce a partnership that will see the EFL League One Club’s stadium known as SPORTA Arena and establish Stevenage FC as SPORTA’s flagship football partner.

SPORTA Arena is the most visible marker of a partnership that runs far deeper. The two organisations will share insight and expertise across operational, digital and commercial priorities, where Stevenage FC's growth on and off the pitch meets the ambition of a company building the financial future of sport. Together, redefining what a club partnership can be.

The partnership arrives at a moment of rapid professionalisation across football and wider sport. Record levels of institutional and private capital are entering the game, creating new demands and significant opportunities around how clubs, athletes and fans are supported financially and operationally.

Announced in Stevenage FC's 50th anniversary year, the partnership brings together two forward-thinking organisations with a shared belief in innovation, community and building for the long term.

SPORTA is building the dedicated financial and digital infrastructure for sport, with an application under way to become the UK’s first fully authorised bank dedicated to sporting communities, subject to Bank of England approval.

Andrew Smith, CEO and Founder of SPORTA, said:

“Stevenage FC is exactly the kind of Club that shows why SPORTA exists. It is ambitious, innovative, community-led and built around people who care deeply about the Club and the town it represents.

“This is a long-term partnership about working with Stevenage FC to understand the financial and operational needs of a modern football Club operating in an evolving and often fragmented ecosystem.

“To launch that partnership in the Club’s 50th anniversary year, and to see it come to life through SPORTA Arena, is a proud moment for us. Our role is to support the Club, including players, fans, and community and grassroots initiatives as Stevenage writes the next chapter of its story.”

Phil Wallace, Chairman of Stevenage FC, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome SPORTA as a long-term partner of Stevenage FC and to announce the SPORTA Arena as the new home of our football club.

“This is far more than a naming rights agreement. From our very first conversations it was clear that SPORTA shared our vision, our ambition and our desire to make a positive impact beyond football. The naming of SPORTA Arena reflects the scale and ambition of our partnership.

“As our club continues to evolve, it is important that we work with partners who genuinely believe in what we are building. SPORTA is exactly that type of partner, and we look forward to developing an exciting relationship together over the coming years.”

Vicky Gosling OBE, SPORTA Co-Founder, said:

“The strongest and most sustainable sports organisations are those that connect performance, people and long-term resilience. This partnership is about helping to create the conditions for a Club, its athletes and its community to perform at their best, financially and operationally in a complex changing environment.

“Stevenage has a powerful local story and a clear sense of identity. SPORTA’s ambition is to support that by bringing expertise, structure and long-term thinking to the financial and digital infrastructure around sport.”

Key areas of collaboration will include:

Club and operational insight: Across the Club’s financial, operational and digital environments.

Storytelling: The partnership will include joint content that gives supporters a closer look at the people, decisions and community stories behind the Club during its milestone 50th year.

Community support: Exploring how long-term infrastructure can support the Club, Stevenage Academy, community activities and facilities.

Elias Youssef, Head of Investments and Strategic Projects, Stevenage FC, said:

"The most significant partnerships across sport now go far beyond exposure. They're built on genuine alignment and a shared ambition to create lasting strategic value.

"At Stevenage FC we're constantly looking to innovate and drive growth on every front, and in SPORTA we have a partner that shares that mindset."

Andrew Smith commented on SPORTA’s wider mission:

“We believe sport across the UK deserves stronger foundations, better support that understands its unique dynamics and partners who appreciate its impact on society. Stevenage is where that mission begins in football for SPORTA. Through this partnership, our ambition is to listen, learn and help build a model that can support sport more widely.”

No regulated banking products or services are being announced as part of the partnership.

The partnership will be activated at Stevenage FC’s first home League One fixture of the 2026/27 season on August 22nd 2026, with the launch supported across both organisations’ digital channels, with further details on matchday activity at SPORTA Arena to follow.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors:

About SPORTA

By bringing together financial expertise, community values and a genuine love of sport, SPORTA's ambition is to become a movement that champions financial wellbeing, performance and belonging.

Learn more: www.sporta.team/

Contact: Simon Ward, Started PR, 07396 060 272 or email simon@startedpr.com

About Stevenage FC

Founded in 1976, Stevenage Football Club is an established EFL club based in Hertfordshire, competing in Sky Bet League One. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026/27, the Club continues to build on five decades of progress, with a strong focus on performance, innovation, community and sustainable growth both on and off the pitch.

Contact: info@stevenagefc.com

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Source: Company press release.

Categories: Partnership