AO Adds Football to Continued Sports Sponsorship | News

October 6th 2025

Bolton School is delighted to announce that, from September, AO will sponsor the Boys’ Division Football team kits for the next three years. AO is already the sponsor for Boys’ Division sports kits for Rugby and Cricket, and for Girls’ Division Netball: the addition of Football means that AO now sponsors three of the foremost Boys’ Division sports and one of the top sports in the Girls’ Division.

Each kit features the AO logo alongside the School colours, and the new Boys’ Division Football kit also features AO-green goalkeeper shirts.

Students will proudly wear their AO-sponsored kit in all four sports from the beginning of September for all matches throughout the three-year term of the sponsorship.

AO Founder and CEO, John Roberts, said: “As a Bolton-based business and a proud supporter of young people across the UK, we’re delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with the football, cricket, rugby and netball teams at the Bolton School. Sport has a hugely positive effect on young people in building their self-confidence, team work and overall aspirations which is why we continue to invest in our grass roots sports kit sponsorship programme.”

Mr Nic Ford, Head of Boys’ Division, said: “We are so pleased to add Football to the list of Boys’ Division sports kits sponsored by AO. Football is always a popular and successful sport within the School, and we are now in a very exciting position following the 2024-25 season: our Year 11, Year 10 and Year 7 teams all won their respective Town Cups, showcasing the talent of our upcoming young footballers. We hope that AO will be proud to watch our young players in all year groups go from strength to strength across the coming three years of the partnership as they take to the pitch wearing their new AO-sponsored kits.”

Mrs Lynne Kyle, Head of Girls’ Division, said: “We are very excited to have AO continuing as the kit sponsor for Girls’ Division Netball. Netball is one of our flagship sports, with teams regularly winning the Town Championships, and individual young sportswomen play at a very high standard outside of school. Each year we are proud to see several girls selected for town, county and national teams and honours. Over the years, many girls have been selected for youth and senior squads at Manchester Thunder, where AO is also the principal sponsor.”

Head of Foundation Mr Philip Britton said: “We are incredibly grateful to AO for their generous sponsorship of four Bolton School sports kits over the next three years. Wearing the School kit is a huge point of pride for our young sportsmen and sportswomen, and it is wonderful to know that our squads of Football, Rugby, Cricket and Netball players will have the opportunity to wear their school colours thanks to AO’s ongoing support. Partnerships such as this exemplify the importance and value of positive connections with local businesses, and we thank AO for their continued support for our students.”

AO has deepened its longstanding partnership with Bolton School over the years. Having already previously supported Boys’ Cricket and Rugby and Girls’ Netball, as well as investing in the School’s sporting facilities by way of advertising banners on the School grounds, their enhanced support of Boys’ Football demonstrates their sustained commitment to nurturing talent and supporting Bolton School’s long-term ambitions.