Swans conclude deal with online bookie to explore bigger and better opportunities
The Swans announced today that they would be ending their sponsorship deal with online bookies 32Red, which has run for the last four years and wasn't due to expire until the end of the 2013/2014 season. On a purely aesthetic level, I think the best sponsor we've had in years has to have been "Swansea.com" in a hipster font, however it is highly doubtful that they'll manage to secure a contract given the Swans rise to prominence over the last few years.
Much more likely is the Swans have had interest from a number of parties, and are seeking to maximise income from areas where no damage will be done to the playing squad. Measures like this show the club are consistently looking around, making sure they have the best possible deal available, and it's pleasing to see they're willing to act if they feel they can secure a better deal elsewhere. Who the interested parties are remains to be seen, but Leigh Dineen was full of beans regarding the news;
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| Leigh Dineen. Seemingly another advocate of the "no-tie club". |
“I’d like to place on record the club’s enormous thanks for the support that 32Red has given us over the last four years.They have been a pleasure to deal with and played an important factor in our progress.
“I feel we have some exciting opportunities in the market place and have agreed to conclude the agreement with 32Red one year early and on friendly terms.” Leigh Dineen
Although not a quote, the official Swans site states "[the club are doing this] to allow Swansea City to engage with third parties who may be able to assist in the physical development of the stadium and support the club in it's next phase of growth" - which sounds to me like they've got something lined up. Furthermore, given the Swans continued financial prudence it seems highly unlikely the Swans would kick one bedfellow out without a glitzier, more attractive bedfellow waiting in the wings. I hope there's a modicum of sensibility when negotiations are finalised; I wouldn't, for example, like McDonalds as a sponsor, however these things must be done to secure a sound financial footing for the club, as there's no guarantee any team outside of the elite will ever enjoy permanent Premier League football.
Measures like this make sure the Swans can't look back in ten years and think "we could have made an extra £5million here", which, as we know, can be all the difference sometimes. While no team the size of the Swans can expect to stay in the Premier League forever, I'd say they've already done enough, and shown enough common sense, to allow us to rest easy in the knowledge that the Swans will be a well run, financially secure football club for the foreseeable future.
Things can only get better?