Charlton Athletic FC seeks new sponsor

Charlton%20Athletic%20logoCharlton Athletic is seeking a new sponsor after its deal with Spanish property company Llanera was scrapped when the company went out of business. It is the second time the football team has lost its sponsor to bankruptcy.

Llanera filed for insolvency in October after its plans for a development project, targeting ex-patriots in Murcia in Costa Blanca, collapsed. The company was then forced to pull the second year of sponsorship, although it paid the fee for the 2007/08 season in full to end the deal.

Charlton signed the sponsorship deal with Llanera at the end of 2005 after sports retail chain Allsports was forced to pull its sponsorship after also becoming insolvent (MW October 20, 2005).

Charlton is offering new sponsors 55% of all its stadium branding and a two-tier fee system, due to the different media prices between the Coca-Cola Championship and the Barclays Premier League. Charlton is currently fifth in the Championship and hopes to be promoted next season.

Steve Sutherland, the club’s commercial director, says: “Ideally we need a partner to sign with us for a three or four year contract. A sponsor can start an advertising and hospitality relationship with us now.”

Charlton has been widely commended for its local community activities and Sutherland adds that the club would “ideally need a partner with the same corporate social responsibility commitment as us.”

Some brands, such as alcoholic drinks, will be precluded, as it is against Charlton’s policy to separate the club and community program sponsorships.

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