Staffordshire FA Appoint Non-Executive Commercial Director

To further enhance and develop the Association’s commercial strategy, in order to generate additional income to reinvest into local grassroots football, Staffordshire FA are delighted to announce the appointment of new Non-Executive Commercial Director, Ryan Yates.

Ryan joins Staffordshire FA in a newly created role, to provide additional guidance and commercial expertise to the Board of Directors and to the Association’s Commercial & Partnerships Lead.

Ryan brings with him a wealth of experience as the Group Operations Director at Beswicks Legal, and Commercial Director at Beswicks Sports. In addition to that, Ryan has been in and around local football for most of his life and has a real empathy for grassroots football and the vital role that it plays in so many people’s lives, supporting the health & wellbeing of local communities across Staffordshire. 

As the local governing body for grassroots football, Staffordshire FA’s purpose is to provide a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can achieve their football aspirations. This involves the delivery of strategic objectives via the Association’s strategy, ‘Uniting the Knot’.  To deliver that strategy effectively and ensure that we can increase participation across the game, supporting a huge network of volunteers to create the best environments possible for the game to thrive, Staffordshire FA is developing its commercial strategy to generate additional resources to reinvest into local grassroots football.  

Ryan’s appointment will greatly assist the Association in achieving our commercial goals, which in turn will positively impact a network of 472 affiliated clubs in Staffordshire last season, providing opportunities for 2,185 teams, over 31,000 players, 8,000 volunteers, and 850 match officials. 

Adam Evans, CEO at Staffordshire FA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ryan to the Staffordshire FA as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and business experience from his roles with Beswicks. As a non-for-profit organisation, it is imperative that we diversify our income streams which will allow us to reinvest back into the grassroots game in Staffordshire. Our overall objective is to provide a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can achieve their football aspirations; to achieve this we need to surround ourselves with the best people, and Ryan certainly falls into this category.”

Ryan Yates, Non-Executive Commercial Director at Staffordshire FA, said: “I am very much looking forward to working with the Staffordshire FA board of directors and the team in supporting them to deliver their strategic objectives moving forward. I am delighted to play a part in developing grassroots football – something that I am very passionate about.”

Gareth Thomas, Commercial & Partnerships Lead at Staffordshire FA, said: “Ryan’s appointment is a real boost for our commercial ambitions as we look to develop a partnership strategy that can have a positive impact on grassroots football. In addition to the benefits this will have on the local game, we’re also developing some unique and attractive benefits for those partners who are supporting Staffordshire FA and grassroots football.  

“Ryan has already made some significant contributions to our work in this area, and I look forward to working with him as we collectively look to enhance our commercial partnership strategy, and in turn, positively impact on local grassroots football.”

To find out more about Staffordshire FA’s commercial partnership strategy, please contact Gareth.Thomas@StaffordshireFA.com.