In this Sporting Jobs special of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by regular guest Harry Lynch and new team members Max and Alex.

Together, they talk about breaking into the sports industry, the reality of graduate competition, and why voluntary experience is so valuable. They also reflect on Birmingham’s fast-evolving sporting landscape, from the Invictus Games and Deloitte’s Union of Sport Midlands event to Birmingham City’s new “Powerhouse” stadium, and lift the lid on current Sporting Jobs projects and where future roles in sport might emerge.

Key Takeaways

At the UCFB careers fair at Wembley, the question every student asked was, “How do I stand out?”. The team’s answer: get experience where others don’t. Voluntary matchday roles, media assistant positions at non-league clubs, writing blogs, starting podcasts or helping a local commercial director sell perimeter boards all build a portfolio that lifts you above a pile of identical degrees. Initiative, not just education, is what catches a recruiter’s eye.

Harry stresses that senior figures in sport are generally very willing to help if approached respectfully. Reaching out on LinkedIn after events, asking for a 10–15 minute call and being open-minded about roles (ticketing, retail, operations as well as commercial) can open doors you didn’t know existed. The message: don’t be blinkered about your “perfect” job, use conversations to discover new pathways in sport.

Deloitte’s Union of Sport Midlands event highlighted the Invictus Games coming to Birmingham in 2027. Hearing chair Vicky Gosling’s story brought home how pivotal sport can be in rehabilitation for injured service personnel. Max has a personal connection: his uncle helped organise the first Invictus Games in 2014 and even shared an office with Prince Harry, while both his parents served in the military. For Sporting Jobs, the Games represent both a powerful human story and a major opportunity to support new roles created in the city.

The new “Powerhouse” stadium proposal for Birmingham City is seen as transformative – not just for the club but for the Midlands. With talk of NFL games, concerts and thousands of jobs post-completion, the team believe it will force other local clubs and businesses to innovate, help cement Birmingham’s status as the UK’s second city, and complement existing developments from the Commonwealth Games legacy to the Bullring’s “glow-up”.

Harry and the team discuss their retained search for the Chair of the Board at Warwickshire County Cricket Club / Edgbaston – one of the most prestigious non-executive roles in sport, and how their Birmingham base helps them meet candidates and stakeholders face-to-face.

In this Christmas special (better late than never) of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by CEO Adrian Wright, UK Managing Director Ian Dutton and SGI’s Country Manager for Spain, Diego Pesqué.

Together they chart SGI’s journey from early international work in India through to a growing presence in Europe, Japan and the Far East, and unpack what “internationalisation” really means for clubs, Leagues and brands looking to reach new fans and unlock fresh revenue streams.

Key Takeaways

Diego frames internationalisation as the deliberate actions a club or rights-holder takes to grow its brand beyond its home market. With domestic markets in Spain, the UK and elsewhere increasingly saturated, he argues clubs must expand abroad to find new revenue and fans. In a data-driven sponsorship world, brands demand clear metrics and reach; clubs that remain purely domestic will struggle to attract international money or blue-chip partners.

Where once a club’s only real international income came from shirt sales and limited broadcast, Diego highlights how digital fans around the world now subscribe to memberships, buy merchandise online and pay for pay-per-view or streaming. Ian explains how SGI’s structure with people on the ground in the UK, Spain, India and soon the Far East – allows them to identify assets in one market and match them with brands in another. Europe is already “tick” for SGI, with Diego leading in Spain and plans to hire further in the region. Adrian reveals a new strategic partner for 2026 that will give SGI a footprint in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, operating in collaboration rather than as a simple badge-swap.

The US is the next major target: SGI are already talking to MLS clubs and other properties, and see 2026 as the year they must have a formal presence there. Ian observes that many modern fans, especially internationally, follow players more than clubs. When a star like Lionel Messi moves, a large portion of his global following moves with him. Diego’s own journey, admiring Barça, then Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, and now leaning towards Manchester City while also backing Deportivo La Coruña and Barça at home, illustrates how fluid overseas fandom can be and why clubs must think globally rather than assume lifelong local allegiance.

In this episode of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by Adrian Wright, Ian Dutton and Harry Lynch to unpack what they call the “middle market” of sport, the space between elite, big-money rights and the grassroots. They share current deal activity across football, rugby, cricket, MMA and MLS, introduce Head of Sponsorship Taylor Ryan, and explore why mid-tier clubs and Leagues can offer better value, deeper relationships and more tangible ROI for brands than some top-tier properties.

Key Takeaways

The “middle market” is where SGI sees real growth. Adrian defines the middle market as clubs and properties outside the very top tier – the ones struggling to sell or even properly define assets like naming rights, training wear or portfolio rights. SGI step in as an extension of the club’s sales team, bringing realistic valuations, properly prepared collateral and genuine board-level buy-in so deals don’t collapse at the last minute.

Commercial income is survival money further down the pyramid. Ian stresses that for EFL and National League clubs, sponsorship is not “nice to have” – it can literally pay wages, fund infrastructure and build out commercial teams in the absence of huge broadcast revenues. That makes regional and mid-tier deals more meaningful for both club and brand, with sponsors seeing exactly where their money is going on and off the pitch.

Career-building opportunities flourish in smaller clubs. From a recruitment perspective, Harry highlights how Championship, League One/Two and non-league environments give candidates far broader experience than some elite set-ups. CEOs and execs wear multiple hats – from ticketing and hospitality to commercial and operations – creating leaders who genuinely understand every part of a club.

Good examples:

Reece Ellingham at Southend and James Corrigan at Northampton show how people can rise from entry-level roles to senior leadership by growing with a club.

SGI runs a disciplined, retained model in this space. SGI now operate a six-month minimum retained programme where they only take on rights they believe in. They benchmark valuations, shape presentations, test internal commitment and carry out due diligence on both clubs and brands – from board appetite to financial stability over a five-year term. Adrian notes they’ve brought offers to the table on every retained brief in the company’s history, even if clubs sometimes move the goalposts on value mid-deal.

League and portfolio deals are an underused play. Beyond individual shirt deals, Adrian sees big potential in league-wide or portfolio partnerships in areas like second-tier rugby – affluent audiences, national spread and strong alignment with sectors like financial services. With structures similar to EFL league sponsorships, brands can secure instant nationwide presence across multiple clubs through one, well-structured agreement.

Spotlight on Taylor Ryan: from selling vans to selling sponsorship. The episode “lifts the curtain” on SGI’s Head of Sponsorship, Taylor Ryan, whose route into sport started in car sales. After selling Adrian a van, he was invited to interview and has spent the last two and a half years brokering deals from the Premier League down to the National League North – including a training-wear deal worth £30–40k that effectively covered a club’s player wages, highlighting how impactful mid-tier sponsorship can be.

Top talent is actively choosing “projects” over prestige. Harry is seeing senior leaders deliberately leaving big clubs and NGBs for ambitious, medium-sized projects – such as Neil Hart joining MK Dons or Dave Boddy taking the CEO role at Solihull Moors. With clear 4–5 year plans, supportive ownership and room to make visible change, these roles can be more rewarding than moving sideways within another elite...