Rich Hewes

From Chelsea’s “Return of the Rebel” and TAG Heuer’s revived Formula 1 watches to fans co‑creating future kits with AI, clubs and brands are using nostalgia to draw in fans, blending archive with the present day to offer continuity in a culture where the past is as valuable as the future.

A wave of January announcements hints at the next phase of sponsorship: sport as a space for relevance, identity, and cultural weight rather than just audience size.

A new partnership between Liverpool and Tommy Hilfiger highlights the growing overlap between football, fashion, and cultural positioning – and what clubs want to represent beyond the game.