The Club is very proud to extend one of the longest running sponsorship deals in sport.
As part of this, we caught up with Sports Interactive’s Richard Trafford to discuss our highly valued partnership.
World renowned for their Football Manager series, SI have renewed with us as shirt sponsors for the coming season and the picture above shows (left to right): Andrew Stead (our Head of Commercial), Richard Trafford, Alex Bell (Operations Manager at SI) and Pietro Palladino (our Commercial Manager and Hospitality).
We’re very grateful for an association with Sports Interactive that goes back to AFC Wimbledon’s very first match after reformation at Sutton United, though there’s one occasion every year when the two parties become real enemies – the annual SI versus Dons staff match!
Read our Q&A with Richard below.
What is your role at the company?
Hi, I’m Richard Trafford and I’m Head of Business Development and Partnerships at Sports Interactive.
How long have you been a part of your company?
I joined the SI team in July 2022.
Tell us about your business?
Since 1994, Sports Interactive has been the world's leading developer of sports management simulations through our Football Manager series. Our most recent release, FM23, has been played by almost six million people around the world.
How long have you been associated with the Club?
Sports Interactive have been associated with AFC Wimbledon since the club was reformed. We sponsored their shirts for the first-ever competitive game after the club reformed - against Sandhurst Town back in 2002. We’ve been with them on every step of the journey since then, with our current sponsorship deal the longest-running in English league football.
If your business was an AFC Wimbledon player past / present, who would you be and why?
This is a tricky one! Considering the longevity of our partnership, it’s probably got to be someone like Kevin Cooper who was there at the beginning, or Barry Fuller, the club’s record appearance-maker since the Club reformed.
How can supporters and local businesses benefit from your business?
Football Manager allows fans to live out their footballing dreams, giving them the closest thing to stepping into the dugout for real. AFC Wimbledon’s rise through the leagues is the quintessential FM story and our next title, Football Manager 2024, is the perfect opportunity for fans to guide the Dons to a boatload of virtual glory.
For more information on Sports Interactive and the Football Manager series, visit their website by clicking on the link below.