At the heart of the partnership is Eddie Portman, a Director at Blue Portal. Eddie, a supporter has lots of enthusiasm for the club and the local partnerships, which is made clear from a recent interview he participated in with the club.

Eddie explains how the business has evolved significantly over the past two decades from mobile telecommunications into a multifaceted technology provider.

“Blue Portal has been trading for over 20 years, originally starting in the mobile sector, mobile phones, tariffs, and so on. It has since evolved into an all-encompassing telecoms company, providing business broadband and business telephony services such as cloud-based phone systems and everything that goes with them. This includes data cabling and CCTV solutions.”

“We look after all types of businesses, but mainly small to medium-sized companies, typically from as few as one user up to 50. That said, we also have some much larger clients with hundreds or even thousands of users across the UK, and we manage all aspects of their telecommunications infrastructure. These customers are as far north as Elgin and Inverness, and all the way down to the South Coast, into Devon and Cornwall.”

Eddie and the business remain strongly connected to Yorkshire, having offices in Chapeltown, Sheffield and Barnsley, and employees living in the surrounding areas too.

Along with the other directors, Eddie is deeply passionate about sport and understands the joy and work that keeps grassroots clubs alive.

He said: “We already do some sponsorship with a few other local sports clubs, but Emley caught our eye because it’s a very organised and well-run club. We wanted to get involved, to give something back locally, and to meet people who are passionate about grassroots football.”

Blue Portal has previously been involved in sponsorship deals further up the footballing pyramid, including with Huddersfield Town. However, it was the atmosphere at Emley AFC that took hold of his imagination.

“What we want is to connect with local businesses and people, and we find that networking and word of mouth are the best forms of marketing for us.”

The desire for genuine connection is what led Blue Portal to have a partnership with the Pewits. From their first meeting with Emley, they were impressed with the club’s professionalism, ambition, and community spirit.

He said: “When we spoke to the club, we were given a sponsor’s brochure that was so professional and well put together, you could immediately tell that it was a well-run operation. It’s also about the people. You can feel the passion when you visit the ground, from the volunteers to the supporters, everyone genuinely cares about the club. It’s a strong, proud community, and it’s great to be part of that.”

For Eddie and Blue Portal, the sponsorship deal with Emley is not just about visibility but about impact and involvement. He added: “When you’re sponsoring a club like Emley, you know you’re not just putting your name on a board you’re helping to keep grassroots football alive and thriving.”

Having been involved in running a cricket club for twenty-five years, Eddie understands the dedication and effort it takes to keep a sporting club going: “Every penny earned is hard earned, so we don’t see sponsorship as just giving money away. It’s an opportunity to support a club like Emley and to engage with the community. If we can help in any other way through our expertise or by pointing the club in the right direction, we’re more than happy to do that.”

For Eddie, grassroots football brings a sense of authenticity which is increasingly rare in the modern sporting world: “When you go to Emley, you meet the same people, see familiar faces, and build relationships. There’s less of a disconnect between the players and the supporters than you get at the bigger clubs. It’s just a great atmosphere having a pint, chatting with people you’ve come to know, celebrating the wins, and commiserating the losses together. That sense of togetherness is what grassroots football is all about.”

After last season’s strong showing, hopes are high around the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground. Eddie is personally both optimistic and realistic about what the future holds.
He said: “Last season was an incredible achievement, going so close to promotion, I don’t see why Emley can’t push for the play-offs again. Of course, there are some big teams in this league, and some will be paying out a lot more money, but as long as the players give their all, which they always do, then we’ll be happy.”

In the modern era where sponsorship deals can feel distant, the relationship between Blue Portal and Emley AFC stands out as genuine and personal. It’s not just about the money but about passion and the local community.

We are delighted to have Blue Portal’s support and look forward to our partnership growing during the season.