Category Archives: Other Sports

Business, Leeds, News, Other Sports

Leeds Based Underpin Appoints New Non-Executive Director

Well-known figure within professional sport and current CEO of Leicestershire County Cricket Club (LCCC), Sean Jarvis, has been appointed as non-executive director for Leeds-based golf mental performance coaching company, Underpin.

Sean will still maintain his full-time commitments with LCCC but draw on his leadership and sporting experience and expertise to help Underpin drive its long-term strategic growth aims.

With a strong commercial sporting background spanning three decades, Sean has worked at executive level within professional sports clubs, including in the Premier League with Huddersfield Town and the Football League with Oldham Athletic. He was also involved the launch of the rugby Super League and worked in a marketing capacity for Carling at the inception of the Premier League and Sky TV.

With Underpin providing mental performance coaching to elite amateur and professional golfers across the globe, Sean aims to replicate his success across other sports by providing the strategic direction and tactical delivery needed to help scale the business.

Sean will also help grow its existing network of corporate members, which includes Blacks Solicitors, C&C Healthcare and Sagars Accountants. Each member of the Underpin 72 Club benefit from bespoke golf and business events through to commercial networking opportunities. They gain a unique insight into the world of elite sports performance and help Underpin’s portfolio of players achieve their full potential at the very highest level of the professional game.

Commenting on his appointment, Sean said: “Having seen first-hand the vital role mental performance coaching plays in elite sport, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of Underpin and help provide the strategic guidance needed to shape the future growth of the business.”

“The role is ideal as it still allows me to provide my full commitment to LCCC, whilst being part of a business in its infancy which has a growing corporate network, operates globally and is having such a positive impact on the development of the amateur and professional game.”

Greg Robertson, founder and mental performance coach for Underpin, added: “To bring someone of Sean’s calibre on board is a major coup for Underpin. We have ambitious aims for the company and feel his commercial acumen and pedigree within professional sport can only benefit us in the journey ahead.”

“His passion and love of sport is infectious and he very much shares our philosophy of developing elite golfers, not just as players but as people as well, creating a solid platform for them to excel at the highest possible level. Everyone connected with Underpin has been energised by his arrival, as we enter what is a really exciting chapter for the business.”

Other News, Other Sports

Yorkshire Firm To Continue Midland Speed Championship Sponsorship

Connectus Business Solutions will be sponsoring an exciting motor racing competition for a further two years, they announced today.

The Yorkshire-based tech firm said it was delighted to be supporting the Midland Speed Championship which is contested by drivers starting out in motorsport, right up to seasoned campaigners who take part in 32 events across Hillclimb and Sprint.

Connectus, which has offices in Salford, Warrington and Doncaster, sponsored the 2022 season of the Championship, but this new deal will see them continuing to back the event through to 2024.

The company’s CEO, Roy Shelton, confirmed details of the partnership at an awards ceremony recently which saw him present a trophy to last season’s winner Peter Taylor (pictured above).

Commenting on the growing partnership Roy said: “Connectus are passionate about supporting grass root and amateur sports in rugby, football, cricket and outward bound activities. That’s why we are proud to be continuing our support of the Midland Speed Championship over the next two years. It’s a fantastic event. What I love most about it is the wide range of people taking part in the events. We continue to look forward to seeing this event grow, and I am sure it will only go from strength to strength with our support.”

The sponsorship is Connectus’ latest move towards supporting more regional sporting activities.

The company, which announced a merger with KTSL last year, is the connectivity provider at Sale Sharks Carrington training ground and its AJ Bell Stadium home.

Connectus secured a five-year deal in 2019 to provide a high-speed fibre optical network, as well as telephony, corporate Wi-Fi and managed cybersecurity services to support the stadium management team.

The company is also a proud sponsor of Sale Sharks’ captain Jono Ross, who regularly works with Connectus in the local community.

Mr Shelton added: “Supporting great local sports clubs is something we are incredibly passionate about at Connectus and we value all the partnerships we have.”

Business, Leeds, News, Other Sports

Source Tees Off New PR Partnership With Underpin

Leeds-based performance-led marketing communications agency, Source has been appointed to handle the retained national PR for golf mental performance coaching company, Underpin.

Underpin provides direct support to elite amateur players and professional golfers across the globe, such as Conor O’Rourke, Ashton Turner and Charlotte Heath. The business prides itself on developing the individual not just as a player but as a person as well, creating a solid platform for them to excel in their career and perform where it matters most – on the golf course.

It has a strong network of established corporate partners, including Blacks Solicitors, C&C Healthcare and Sagars Accountants. Each one helps to fund the mental performance coaching that Underpin provides to its portfolio of elite amateur players, to help them achieve their full potential and succeed at the very highest level of the professional game.

Source’s focus will be on delivering a retained programme of PR to promote key business milestones and communicate the benefits of mental performance coaching in golf, Underpin’s corporate packages and its extensive calendar of annual events.

Chris Hughes, a director at Source, said: “It’s fair to say this is a popular client win for Source as many of the team here are budding golfers and share Underpin’s passion for the future development of the amateur and professional game. It’s a unique opportunity to work with a business that continually innovates and demonstrates the important role mental performance coaching plays in elite sport.”

“We’re looking forward to increasing Underpin’s profile in the media amongst golfing and corporate audiences and helping accelerate the company’s ambitious growth aims over the next 12 months.”

Greg Robertson, founder and mental performance coach for Underpin, added: “Source’s PR experience and expertise really stood out and will play a key role as we look to rapidly expand the business, particularly amongst corporate partners. The agency has come on board at an ideal time as we have some really exciting announcements to make that they will play a crucial role in promoting.”

Source works across PR, SEO, paid digital and social media and provides strategic guidance to both B2B and B2C clients across the UK. For further information on Source visit here.

Other Sports, Sports Headlines

Sheffield’s Jack Holder Takes Australian Title

Sheffield’s Jack Holder has been crowned the new Australian Champion.

The Tru Plant Tigers’ No.1 has enjoyed a solid four round series and got the job done by claiming victory in North Brisbane on Wednesday.

2017 World Champion and Ipswich star Jason Doyle had won all three of the opening events putting him in pole position to regain the title. But an impressive run saw Holder just three points behind him in the overall standings and a tense finale was highly anticipated.

Unsurprisingly, both made it through to the Semi-Finals – and when Doyle was eliminated in the first, Holder knew the task in hand.

He won his Semi to qualify before pulling off an early pass to get by Max Fricke in the Final to earn his first senior national title.

Said Holder: “It feels amazing. I’ve worked so hard for this and spent a lot of money on bringing my good stuff back from Europe. I’m pretty speechless at the moment but wow, number one!”

Other Sports, Sport, Sports Headlines

Teenager Becomes Sheffield’s New Rising Star.

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Dan Gilkes is Sheffield’s new Rising Star. The 19-year-old arrives at Owlerton heavily recommended by Tru Plant Tigers’ team manager Simon Stead who has worked with the youngster over the past couple of seasons within the Great Britain international set-up.

Gilkes is currently building up his fitness having spent a chunk of the 2022 campaign on the sidelines with broken ribs and a broken arm – of which he had the metal platework removed from last week.

But Stead says he has been introduced at Sheffield with the intention of keeping him involved on a longer term basis and is excited to see how Gilkes progresses during his time with the club.

Said Stead: “I was absolutely delighted that Dan’s name was still on the list of riders available to us when it came around to our Rising Star selection. That’s because he was my No.1 target anyway and I was desperate to work with him.”

“I spoke in some depth with Dan towards the end of last season and told him I genuinely felt the time was right for him to step up and make the move into the Premiership – albeit on his limited bike time and Championship racing this year due to injury.”

“Dan is somebody I’ve been working with for quite some time now in the GB Academy and with the GB squad. He is somebody who never fails to impress me with his level of application and dedication to the sport. He is the perfect fit for us and somebody I feel I work very, very well with and someone I think I can help continue to develop.”

“We see this as a long-term thing and that was made very, very clear to Dan throughout our discussions with him. He is really, really happy to be involved with Sheffield and while it will be a huge challenge for him, if what I’ve seen of Dan up to now continues and develops even further with us, then we really have got a shining light on our hands.”

“Sheffield fans really can trust me on this one when I tell them that they can look forward to seeing a talented, young British rider who will give his absolute everything for the club.”

It means Connor Mountain will depart the Sheffield side for 2023 having ‘graduated’ from the Rising Star scheme – but Stead is keen to see him return to Owlerton at some point in the future.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the end of Connor in a Tigers’ racejacket,” he said. “He was exceptional for us in 2022 and I was desperately disappointed that no matter how hard we tried, he just didn’t fit average wise with what else we’d already got lined up.”

“Trust me, we explored all options to try and keep him involved in the team but for next year, it just didn’t work unfortunately.”

“I know a lot of Sheffield fans will also be disappointed by that but right now all we can do is thank him for his tremendous efforts and like I’ve said, I don’t think it’s the last time we’ll see him racing for Sheffield because he did us so, so proud and he leaves with our very best wishes.”

Other Sports, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Sports Headlines

Sheffield Announce Holder Return After Ipswich Win

Photo credit: Charlotte Flanigan

Sheffield completed a 100 per cent home league record with a win over Ipswich – before announcing Aussie Ace Jack Holder as their first rider for 2023.

The Tru Plant Tigers, who finished runners-up in this year’s Grand Final, had to fulfil their outstanding Premiership fixture with the Witches, and ensured they finished with ten league victories from ten at Owlerton with a comprehensive 54-36 triumph.

Sheffield won ten of the 15 races and limited their opponents to just one heat advantage – which came in the final action of the night.

Rising Star Connor Mountain top scored with paid 13 and fully deserved his Heat 15 nomination, while guest Sam Masters provided plenty of entertainment on his way to three race wins.

Holder dropped just one point to the opposition while fellow heat-leader Adam Ellis also achieved paid double figures.

Lewis Kerr again demonstrated plenty of speed and fighting spirit as did reserve Justin Sedgmen who was in the thick of the action in each of his outings.

The Sheffield faithful were thrilled with another quality team display – and raised the volume even higher when it was announced Holder would be returning for a third straight season.

Team boss Simon Stead said: “It’s great to start off by bringing your No.1 back. I’m delighted that we’ve got Jack back because he sort of feels at home here. We’ve talked to him about our plans with how we want to make the team look and how that’s going to shape up and he’s excited by that which is obviously really, really pleasing.”

“I just want to say a big thanks to all those fans who came out tonight and then stayed behind to hear from the lads and hear the news as well; I hate the phrase ‘nothing fixture’ because you always want to win and it was a nice way to sign off our regular league campaign.”

Sheffield continue to explore all possibilities with regard to the restaging of their Premiership League Cup decider against King’s Lynn.

Other Sports, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Sports Headlines

Sheffield Tigers Gunning For First Ever Title!

Sheffield are gunning for their first ever top-flight league title on a huge night of Speedway in South Yorkshire this Thursday (October 13, 7.30pm).

A bumper crowd is expected at Owlerton for what promises to be a momentous occasion for the Tru Plant Tigers against Belle Vue on, arguably, the biggest night for the sport in the Steel City.

Last year saw Sheffield move up into the Premiership where they secured a Play-Off Semi-Final spot at the first time of asking.

This season saw them top the league standings ahead of the cut-off date before storming to a 36 point aggregate Semi-Final triumph over Wolverhampton.

That set up a Grand Final against their War of the Roses rivals Belle Vue – and it’s the Manchester men who lead by 12 points at the halfway stage following Monday’s first leg at the National Speedway Stadium.

Sheffield are on a nine match winning streak in the Steel City though and face an Aces side who have suffered three defeats at Owlerton in 2022.

The Tigers beat a weakened Belle Vue line-up 53-37 in the League Cup back in April before pulling off a surprise 54-36 victory over a much stronger side in the league a month later.

But the scorelines kept improving as Sheffield racked up their biggest win of the regular league season with a 57-33 triumph over the Aces just three weeks ago.

Team boss Simon Stead is expecting much more of a fight from Belle Vue this time around with the Premiership trophy on the line – but reckons a big crowd and a deafening atmosphere could play a crucial part. “I hope the place is absolutely packed out,” Stead said. “I know Belle Vue fans are due to make the short trip in good numbers and I have no doubt that the Sheffield public will respond as well.”

“We heard a decent level of noise in Manchester on Monday, but we want it even louder at our place. There’s no greater sight than a full Owlerton Stadium under the floodlights and with the atmosphere that’s bound to be generated, I think it’s going to be something else – I just really hope it’s our supporters who have got something to shout about by the end of the night and hopefully it will be us stood out there lifting that trophy.”

“We know the job in hand and as we’ve proven a couple of times here already this year, they are far from unbeatable. The boys are so, so hungry, they really do deserve success, so here’s hoping that they can go out there and get the job done.”

Season tickets are NOT valid and tickets can either be purchased by cash or card on the night, or in advance via the ticket office.

Supporters are urged to bring air horns, hand clappers and Sheffield Tigers foam hands previously handed out this season to help create a night to remember.

A special souvenir Grand Final programme has also been produced and will be available to buy for £4 trackside.

Other Sports, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Sport

Sheffield Speedway Trail In Final

Sheffield trail by 12 points at the halfway stage of the 2022 Premiership Grand Final.

The Tru Plant Tigers were beaten 51-39 by Belle Vue in the first leg at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday.

Three of the opening four races ended with a 3-3 but the hosts were able to open up a ten point lead with four advantages between Heats Five and Ten.

Tobiasz Musielak and Justin Sedgmen combined for 4-2s in both Heats Six and Nine though to limit further damage.

Robert Lambert got the better of Jack Holder in a stunning Heat 11 battle before Adam Ellis picked up his first race win in a 4-2 with Sedgmen in Heat 12.

With the visitors reduced to five men with Jye Etheridge and Charles Wright crashing out, Sheffield took full advantage of having an extra rider in Heat 14 with their only 5-1 of the night.

But Lambert and Brady Kurtz pulled off maximums of their own in Heats 13 and 15 to establish that 12 point first leg advantage.

Sheffield team boss Simon Stead said: “It’s half time, all to play for. It’s not a disaster by any stretch. I think we’ve been dealt a rough hand in a couple of heats but it’s 12 points. I think it sets up the Final at Sheffield on Thursday really nicely.”

The decider takes place at Owlerton Stadium on Thursday (October 13, 7.30) – and with a bumper crowd expected, advanced tickets are now on sale via: sheffield-speedway.com/ticketoffice

PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL, 1st leg
BELLE VUE 51: Robert Lambert 15, Brady Kurtz 10+3, Matej Zagar 10, Tom Brennan 7+1, Norick Blodorn 6, Charles Wright 3+1, Jye Etheridge 0.

SHEFFIELD 39: Tobiasz Musielak 8+1, Adam Ellis 8, Lewis Kerr 7+1, Justin Sedgmen 7+1, Kyle Howarth 4, Connor Mountain 3+1, Jack Holder 2.

Other Sports, Sheffield, Sport

Sheffield Tigers Head To The Final!

Sheffield head to Belle Vue this evening (Monday October 10, 7.30pm) for the first leg of the 2022 Premiership Grand Final.

The Tru Plant Tigers set up the tie with the men from Manchester by completing a 108-72 Semi-Final aggregate win over Wolverhampton.
It is a first ever top-flight Grand Final for the South Yorkshire side – and it couldn’t be a more intriguing head-to-head.

Since stepping up to the Premiership last year, supporters have been treated to some spectacular action in the War of the Roses clashes.

And over the course of their four league meetings this term, just two points separate them on aggregate.

Tru Plant Tigers boss Simon Stead is anticipating a classic Grand Final and while he has acknowledged the strength of their opponents, he also insists confidence and belief has never been higher in his own camp. “We know that Belle Vue will be serious customers and very difficult to beat,” he said.

“We know that we need to continue riding at our very best, possibly even step it up another level because they’re going to be just as up for it as we are. We can head into this Grand Final proud and full of confidence though because every single one of those boys has been riding their socks off and doing their bit for the team.”

“Things haven’t gone to plan at Belle Vue when we’ve been there in the league this season – but what’s happened before counts for nothing. We know the job in hand, we know how dominant they are around their own place – but nobody is unbeatable.”

“I believe we are riding much better as a team than the last time we went to Manchester, I don’t actually think we could’ve been riding any worse than we were at that point.”

“So I think we can go into the first leg and give Belle Vue the respect they deserve but also have the belief that we can go and do a job. Every rider has had good races around there and our boys have all had good meetings there too. Just recently, Connor Mountain had a fabulous British Final there as did Kyle (Howarth) and Adam (Ellis).”

“We’re all fired up for this Final, we’re all desperate to give the Sheffield supporters plenty to cheer about and Belle Vue shouldn’t take us lightly because we’re ready to fight and our lads will give it everything they’ve got.”

Both teams are at full strength with the Aces including World No.5 Robert Lambert following his controversial arrival last week.

BELLE VUE: Brady Kurtz, Tom Brennan, Matej Zagar, Charles Wright, Robert Lambert, Norick Blodorn, Jye Etheridge.

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Lewis Kerr, Adam Ellis, Kyle Howarth, Tobiasz Musielak, Justin Sedgmen, Connor Mountain.

Other Sports, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Sports Headlines

Jack Holder Awaits First Premiership Grand Final

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Aussie ace Jack Holder is counting down to his first ever Premiership Grand Final. The Sheffield No.1 has been in fine form in recent weeks and top scored in the 61-29 Semi-Final win over Wolverhampton for Sheffield Tigers.

But Holder was also quick to praise his team-mates and insists confidence is high within the Tru Plant Tigers camp. “We showed our class,” Holder said. “Everyone was performing and we’re all fired up. We’re really looking forward to the Final.”

“I’ve never been in a Play-Off Final in England before so it’s going to be pretty cool but anything can happen in the play-offs.”

Sheffield head to Manchester for the first leg on Monday October 10, 7.30pm and with a bumper crowd expected at Owlerton on Thursday October 13, 7.30pm for the decider, the excitement is building!

Tickets are now available in advance online here