COLCHESTER United's players will display 'EFL in the Community' on the back of their shirts in the 2024-25 campaign.

The name of the EFL’s charitable arm will be on the back of every player’s shirt across all 72 league clubs.

It forms part of the league’s continued commitment to amplifying the work of its clubs’ charities, which sit at the heart of their communities across England and Wales.

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The branding will leverage the powerful platform of the names and numbers on the back of playing shirts to raise awareness of the incredible community work across the EFL.

The change comes at a time when there will be more eyes on the EFL than ever before with the new broadcast deal between the EFL and Sky Sports set to see more than 1,000 EFL games broadcast across the 2024/25 season.

The league’s charity, which will undergo a name change from ‘EFL Trust’ to ‘EFL in the Community’ later this summer, works with clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs) to make a positive contribution to towns and cities across the country, focusing on creating healthier, stronger communities and supporting education and employability.

 

In bringing together a network of trusted charities and partners, EFL in the Community powerfully channels the local impact of Clubs and CCOs into large scale national projects, opportunities and policy activations to benefit the lives of many.

Through a varied portfolio of ground-breaking community initiatives, EFL clubs and CCOs collectively generate more than £1billion of social value to towns and cities across the country, supporting nearly one million people each year aged from one week to 101 years old.

Director of EFL in the Community, Debbie Cook, said: “Seeing EFL in the Community adorning every shirt in the EFL is a proud moment for everyone involved in Club community work across the League.

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“Not only is it recognition of the great work that’s delivered 365 days per year, it also presents a unique opportunity for EFL in the Community to reach new eyes and ears, on a local, national and global scale, thanks to the millions of people watching EFL matches in stadiums or at home.

“We’ve seen how football and community together can successfully win the hearts and minds of fans, with the power to address inequalities and tackle a range of social issues.

“In putting EFL in the Community on shirts, we have a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the important role our clubs play and we’re confident this will help us reach new audiences and positively impact even more people’s lives in the years to come.”

Clubs that have now launched their 2024/25 replica kits for next season will now be able to sell their product featuring the new back-of-shirt numbers.