Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - Former footballer and entrepreneur Gary Neville has said conditions are “really tough” for UK businesses in the face of surging costs and tight margins.
The former England and
Manchester United player has built up a business empire including commercial
properties, hotels and media companies since retiring.
On Tuesday, Mr Neville was also appointed brand ambassador
of business software firm Sage as it launched
a new long-term partnership with the English Football League (EFL).
He told the PA news agency that there are “huge
opportunities” for how football clubs and businesses can join forces to help
drive growth in regions across the UK.
Mr Neville said: “The impact of having Football League
clubs, and those crowds and attendance, is massive for the local economy and
businesses. And not just in terms of actual financial terms but in terms of the
spirit of a city and a town too.
“A successful football club and a football club that’s
thriving can definitely have a big impact on small businesses in the
surrounding town or city.
“Local businesses thrive upon those local match days, and
the successful team having more matches at home so they can make more money,
because it’s bloody hard work to make money for local businesses, and they need
supporting on a regular basis.”
Nevertheless, he stressed that it was a “challenging” time
to run a business in the UK after sharp recent cost increases and pressure on
consumer demand.
The Sky Sports pundit runs a raft of businesses including
League Two club Salford City, which he owns as part of
a group including David Beckham and US businessman Declan Kelly.
“It’s tough. It’s really, really tough because cost of
products gone up, cost of everything, utilities, rents, everything, has gone
up,” Mr Neville said.
“It is challenging at this moment in time – there are
certain sectors where it’s tough to operate, just purely because of rising
costs and people finding it tough to be able to find the money to go and
support those local businesses.”
His work with Sage comes as the firm becomes the official
accounting software partner for the EFL.
The group has launched a new UK campaign to champion local
businesses, with fans across all 72 EFL clubs invited to nominate the matchday
heroes in their community.
Steve Hare, chief executive of Sage, said: “We’ve been
supporting British small businesses since we were founded, including many
football clubs up and down the country.
“It’s fantastic to bring all of this together in support of
the small businesses that power the football experience week in, week out.”
Mr Neville added: “I’ve seen it from my time as a player and
now as an owner, just how vital these businesses are. I’m proud to join Sage in
celebrating their contribution and helping them thrive.”
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