Robbie Williams has strengthened his long-standing bond with Port Vale after signing a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with the EFL club.
The popstar will have his logo on the centre of Port Vale’s home and away shirts for the next two seasons, while also becoming an ambassador for the Port Vale Foundation. It is another example of celebrity involvement in lower-league football, but this one has a much deeper personal connection.
Williams is a lifelong Port Vale supporter, but his ties to the club go beyond simply following them as a fan. His family history helps explain why Vale Park has always meant so much to him.
Robbie Williams’ dad Pete Conway has close Port Vale connection
Williams’ father, Pete Conway, is central to the story.
According to Smooth Radio, Conway became the licensee at the Port Vale FC social club in Stoke-on-Trent after his marriage to Williams’ mother Janet broke down when Robbie was three.
That meant Williams grew up with the club close to his family life, as well as his football life.
Conway was a singer and comedian himself, and he regularly performed around clubs and pubs in England. He also helped shape Williams’ own love of performing, with the singer watching entertainers backstage as a child.
“When he was on his summer holidays and wherever I was doing a summer season of a show, Robbie used to be backstage and watched the entertainers,” Conway said.
He admitted that Williams had the idea of following him into entertainment when he was around 10 or 11, although Conway initially tried to put him off.
That obviously did not work.
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Now, decades later, Williams is returning to Port Vale in a new way. He has signed on as the club’s official front-of-shirt sponsor for the next two seasons.
For Port Vale, it is a major commercial boost. For Williams, it looks more like a full-circle moment tied to the club that has always been close to his heart.
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