20 Years On the Pitch Together

Celebrating Two Decades of ICG and League Football Education This year marks 20 years of working with League Football Education (LFE) the charity responsible for delivering the Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence programme to the majority of English Football League club.

ICG has been there right from the start. We began working with LFE in 2006, just two years after it was formed, and in the two decades since we've helped shape how it looks, communicates and connects with thousands of young apprentice footballers, their families, clubs and education providers across the country.

Looking back over the last two decades is an opportunity to celebrate the work we've created together and the partnership that continues today.

window.option_df_10908 = {outline:[],autoEnableOutline:false,autoEnableThumbnail:false,overwritePDFOutline:false,direction:1,pageSize:0,source:https:\/\/www.icg.agency\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/LFExICG_20years_flipbook-lores.pdf,wpOptions:true}; if(window.DFLIP && window.DFLIP.parseBooks){window.DFLIP.parseBooks();} Where It All Began Back in 2006, our first job was to give LFE an identity of its own.

We created the original pentagon-shaped logo, drawing inspiration from the pattern stitched into a football a simple idea that's remained at the heart of the brand ever since, and one that's been recognised in identity design circles, featuring in Taschen's Brand Identity Now series.

From there, the partnership grew steadily. We began producing materials that LFE needed to support apprentices through their journey: welcome packs, learning resources, player care guides, club performance reports and Touchline, LFE's flagship magazine for apprentices.

Evolving the Brand for a New Generation A brand has to keep pace with the audience it serves, and few audiences change as fast as teenagers, aged 16 to 18.

Regular in-depth research and audits have helped us understand how apprentices actually consume information, and the brand and its materials have evolved alongside every shift in technology, from brand simplification and more accessible typography through to a digital-first overhaul in recent years.

Accessibility has been a constant thread throughout. From bigger fonts and single-column layouts built for scrolling on mobile to video and animation content designed for visual learners, every project has had to work as hard on a phone as it does in print.

Going above and beyond Over 20 years, our partnership has taken us into other areas of LFE's remit.

We've supported the Erasmus+ programme of European trips, Assessment Trials and Study Programme as well as contributing to EFL initiatives such as Kick It Out.

We helped develop Create Your Legacy, a career progression event held in partnership with Dame Kelly Holmes. During lockdown, we created life skills and mental health resources to help keep apprentices motivated through a genuinely difficult time.

Backing the Players Who've Gone On to Achieve Great Things What makes this partnership genuinely rewarding is seeing where LFE's apprentices end up. Before lining up for Real Madrid and England, Jude Bellingham was an LFE apprentice at Birmingham City. Named LFE's Championship Apprentice of the Year for 2019-20, he featured in Touchline, the LFE magazine we've helped bring to life for two decades.

He's far from alone. Nine LFE Academy graduates feature in England's 2026 World Cup squad, including Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Jordan Henderson and John Stones. At ICG, we enjoy seeing young players at the very start of journeys progressing all the way to the top of the game.

Twenty Years of Creative Collaboration From that first pentagon logo in 2006 to today's digital-first identity, the thread running through this partnership has always been the same: understanding LFE's audience and building creative that serves them, whatever the platform.

Twenty years on, we're proud to still be LFE's marketing partner, and we're looking forward to many more years of collaboration and success.

LFE has had the pleasure of working with ICG for 20 years, and I have been fortunate to work closely with them throughout that time, from our first major rebrand in 2006 through to the launch of our latest brand identity and website. Over those 20 years they have become far more than a design agency to us they are trusted partners who understand our organisation, our audiences and the importance of helping us communicate our work clearly and professionally.

I have always valued their creativity, attention to detail and knowledge of the LFE brand. Their support has helped us develop consistent, engaging and high-quality materials across our publications, digital platforms, campaigns and day-to-day communications. Whether we are working on a major project or need a quick turnaround on a smaller design request, the team at ICG are approachable, reliable and always willing to offer helpful ideas and advice.

The longevity of our relationship says a great deal about the quality of their work and the trust we place in them. ICG has played an important role in helping LFE's visual identity evolve while staying true to who we are and what we stand for. I am grateful for the relationship we have built and value their continued support. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership for many years to come.

Elaine Brand, Assistant Projects Manager

LINK:	https://www.icg.agency/blog/20-years-on-the-pitch-together/...
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