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Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ella Toone wants female footballers to get the 'recognition they deserve'
Manchester United player, Ella Toone, has launched a creative agency to help female footballer players become "household names" and nurture "solid relationships with major brands" English midfielder Ella Toone has launched a creative agency to help her fellow female footballers grow their personal brands. Instead of waiting on the side-lines for sponsorships, female players will be turned into 'household names' and 'take back control' of the talent-brand relationship under the agency's guidance. The Manchester United player co-founded her new venture Amicizia Studios with her long-term agent James Marshall. In an inaugural Instagram post in June 2025, the duo shared that there is 'no nonsense, no messing about' when it comes to the studio's mission to 'blend sports culture and creativity to bring brands and talent together'. The post continued: 'Working with great people across great brands, podcasts and other digital outlets, we're taking back control of the traditional talent/brand relationship and putting our stamp on it.' Amicizia says that while it doesn't take itself too seriously it takes a 'head down and game on' approach when it comes to campaigns. 'We're here to give women's footballers a proper platform, not just the odd collab, but solid relationships built with major brands to create opportunities that turn players into household names.' The studio will serve as a platform to connect female footballers with brand partnerships, marketing campaigns and production opportunities. It will also offer services including content development, creative consultancy and PR to connect women's athletes with brands. Toone and Marshall hope to boost female players to maximise their earning potential. In their vision statement reported by Forbes, Amicizia says it wants to help players show off their personalities as well as get 'the recognition and the proper fees they deserve'. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Amicizia Studios will also serve as a creative hub for Toone to produce her own content. She is a particularly savvy creator and has taken her own brand seriously for years now. In 2023, she became the first Lioness to trademark her own name and launched the ET7 brand. Under ET7, Toone also launched the ET7 Academy to create a supportive space for girls aged 8-19 to play football under the guise of FA-accredited coaches. With over 50% of Women's Super League players currently without sponsorship, Amicizia addresses a gap in the relationship between brands and female footballers. 'There's a really big gap in the market. Women's football is growing and growing, and more brands can be involved in that,' Toone told Marketing Week. Toone is in Switzerland with the Lionesses at the moment for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025. They suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss in their opening match against France but Georgia Stanway said England were 'done talking' about it and were ready to get 'stuck in' against the Dutch on Wednesday, July 9. Toone is confident England can use that experience to rebound on Wednesday. 'I mean mentally I think we're strong anyway,' she said. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Newcastle man sheds nearly 4.5 stone with MAN v FAT programme
A Newcastle man has shed nearly 4.5 stone after joining a local, FA-accredited football programme. Luke Foster, 42, weighed almost 23 stone when he first joined MAN v FAT Newcastle in January 2023. After foot problems forced him to stop for a few months, he rejoined in August 2024 and says he has never looked back. Mr Foster said: "MAN v FAT has had a massive impact on my lifestyle. "I used to be very much, go to work, come home, and do nothing. "Now I am playing football twice a week and have just started to go to the gym again. "It has helped my relationship with food. "I really watch what I eat. "Don't get me wrong, I still have a drink on a Friday night, but it's not as excessive as it once was." The Newcastle MAN v FAT Football club, which meets every Monday evening at NUCASTLE, the Newcastle United Foundation on Diana Street, has helped 56 local men lose more than 31 stone in excess weight between them in the last year. MAN v FAT is a weight loss initiative that aims to help overweight and obese men with a BMI of more than 27.5 lose unwanted weight through weekly football and lifestyle coaching sessions. At sessions, players are weighed, followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss. A team's total weight loss and match scores then contribute to its position within a club's overall league table. Mr Foster said: "I would recommend MAN v FAT. "Everyone is there to help you, as they are all in the same boat and, if anything, it will get you moving. "That's the best thing about it. "I now play on Monday evenings and have started a couple of social games as well." According to the Newcastle City Council Director of Public Health Report 2023, 64 per cent of adults aged 18 and over in Newcastle are classified as overweight or obese ( Richard Crick, head of MAN v FAT, said: "Luke and all the guys at our Newcastle club have been drawn to our programme through a love of football and being part of a team. "What they have gone on to achieve both individually and as a key part of the club we have in Newcastle is fantastic. READ MORE: Royal Visit Durham: Hundreds turn out for King and Queen HMP Frankland prison officer still in hospital after attack Santoro's in Yarm hits market months after shock closure "Our Newcastle club has spaces for new players, so if you're looking to make a positive change to your lifestyle, get in touch." To find out more about MAN v FAT Football and to locate your closest club, visit A rugby club offering on the MAN v FAT model is also being rolled out, with more information available at