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Sponsorship in Sport: A Waste of Space?
What happens when sponsorship goes wrong in the UK?
In 2005, Port Vale FC's shirt sponsors, Tricelli, a mobile phone group, were reported to owe the football club £92,000. Vale only emerged from administration in 2003 and at the time of writing are believed to be losing £20,000 every home game they play, due to poor attendances.
Rushden and Diamonds FC's success in climbing from the non-league tier of football to the old Second Division was backed by the family behind the 'Dr Martens' footwear brand, headed by Max Griggs. Not really a sponsorship deal, but the case illustrates well how a sports club's future can swiftly become jeopardised if the company on which it depends has problems.
In Rushden and Diamonds' case their club's progress was halted when the Griggs family business fell upon hard times. In 2003/04 season, the club lost £3 million and, although losses have been cut this season, the family want 'out'. They have offered to give the club their stadium and some of the other facilities free to a Supporters' Trust along with a £750,000 subsidy for the first 2 years of the arrangement.