Burnley have ended their shirt sponsorship with Finotive One after only 42 days, replacing it with a deal from existing partner Vertu Motors. The abrupt change, which chairman Alan Pace called a "significant disappointment", forced a rapid commercial realignment and caused widespread inconvenience for supporters who had already purchased kits.
Alan Pace apologised to fans on behalf of the club at a recent Fan Advisory Board meeting. "He openly acknowledged that the issue represented a significant disappointment for the club and apologised to supporters on behalf of Burnley FC," the meeting's minutes noted. The termination was directly linked to Finotive One's failure to make its first payment, which has prompted an internal review of the club's entire commercial portfolio.
The fallout was immediate and substantial for the club's retail operation. By September 16, approximately 30 per cent of home shirts and 20 per cent of away shirts had been exchanged due to the sponsor issue. A temporary patch was even used for the season's league opener against West Ham to facilitate a swift replacement. Head of retail Mark Howorth described the situation as unprecedented, with staff working to process exchanges and refunds. A full restock of shirts is now expected around December 1, with efforts being made to bring that date forward.
The fiasco occurred after the team had already worn the Finotive One logo in their opening Carabao Cup match against Notts County and in a high-profile promotional video for the away kit featuring JJ Watt, Stan Ternent, Jimmy Anderson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In response, Burnley moved quickly to secure Vertu Motors as the new front-of-shirt partner and also announced a new partnership with Trainline. The club stated these new partners better align with both the club and its supporter base.
The off-field disruption coincides with a difficult start on the pitch for Vincent Kompany's side, who are 24th in the Championship standings with just four points from eight games. Their recent form reads DLDLD, including a 1-1 draw with Derby in their last outing. The team will be looking to improve on that form and their overall stats when they face Sheffield Wednesday in their next fixture.
Background and full detail: Burnley Express
