Chelsea signs licensing deal with CPLG

Chelsea Village, which owns Chelsea Football Club (CFC), has appointed the Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG) as its exclusive worldwide licensing agency.

CPLG will run a licensing programme focusing on signing up partners in product categories including clothing, accessories, toys, gifts, food, publishing and promotions.

Licensees and retailers will have access to the Chelsea Football Club name and “CFC” crest as well as the club mascot Stamford the Lion.

CPLG is FIFA’s worldwide licensing agency (excluding the Asia-Pacific region) for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. The agency also represents the Rugby Football Union, the England & Wales Cricket Board and the Tennis Masters Series.

Last week, a Deloitte & Touche survey named Chelsea as the seventh-richest football team in the world and the second-richest in the UK, with a turnover of &£76.7m for the 1999/2000 financial year. The study added that no other English club has expanded so aggressively into other areas of business. Hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and a travel agency are some of the ventures pursued by Chelsea Village.

Manchester United topped the list for the fourth year running with a turnover of &£117m – a 5.5 per cent increase on the previous year.