Godfrey Torto – Football Agent / Publicist (Speaker) – The Business of Sport – Saturday 29th June 2013 – Birkbeck, University of London

Godfrey K Torto, the PR Man and Football Agent, has worked with some of the biggest names in football; Frank Lampard and Carlton Cole to name a few.

•   Godfrey joined Chelsea FC by the age of 12, playing through the schoolboy and youth team alongside the likes of current Chelsea and England Captain John Terry , Bristol City FC midfielder Captain Jody Morris and many other future stars.
•   This was also in the era of Glen Hoddle managing the first team. Godfrey managed to play alongside footballing greats such as Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes in practice games.
•   With his aspiration of becoming a top-flight, professional player; this led him to playing at other teams such as Southend United which was managed by Liverpool FC legend Ronnie Whelan.

  Other clubs included Kingstonian FC where he was a semi-professional at this point, Harrow Borough FC and Hayes & Yeading FC which was his last club at the age of 27.

Football Related Public Relations (PR) & Events Management

•   From an early age Godfrey took an interest in Public Relations and Event Management. To date he has successfully organised a range of football related fund-raising events.
•   For one of his first pivotal events which, was for Hounslow Borough TASC – Sickle Cell Society (this was also in conjunction with his 25th birthday); he managed to secure items such as a signed Wayne Rooney shirt, Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC signed team shirts which contributed to raising £3k on the evening, Godfrey has since gone on to raise up 10,000GBP for the charity.
•   His flair and enthusiasm for PR and events management caught the eye of well known personalities such as singing and performing artist Patti Boulaye. She invited him to partake in co-coordinating the Football Reaching for Africa event in 2007 at The Royal Albert Hall in aid of Charity – www.supportforafrica.org
•   At this event Godfrey worked with names e.g. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

•   Later in 2007, he joined Celebrity PR Company Full Portion Media who looked after former Crystal Palace Chairmen Simon Jordan and Celebrity Chef Christophe Novelli. His time there saw saw him bring in names such as Nigel Reo-Coker and Damien Francis.
•   It was at this time that Godfrey registered Ask Godders Management Ltd and a not-for-profit organisation called Give an Event.

o The Bobby Moore Fund 2010 World Cup Gold Signature iPod launch at Harrods with Stephanie Moore; Ask Godders co- organised this with Sol Campbell and Carlton Cole supporting as guests http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jieZMR2ddnM.

o Supported the ABC Ball for SOS Children’s Charity, December 2010 organised by the wives and partners of Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen. Godfrey organised many of the auction prizes including a Gold plated iPod autographed by Cesc, Robin and Thomas.