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Possibility of two sponsors for Man City
Manchester, June 07: Manchester City could sport different sponsors` logos on their home and away shirts in the Premiership next season.
Manchester, June 07: Manchester City could sport different sponsors' logos on their home and away shirts in the Premiership next season.
With administrators Pricewaterhouse Coopers still searching for buyers for the Amulet Group, it looks unlikely that City's current deal with First Advice will continue in its present form.
The club's new kit manufacturer Reebok has already begun producing home shirts for next season and City chairman John Wardle has ruled out a change during the campaign. But Premier League officials have said that the club would be allowed to have a different company name on its away shirts. The possibility also exists for City to have another sponsor displayed on the kit they will use for their Uefa Cup campaign. It should mean they do not lose out if the collapse of their £4m, three-year contract with First Advice is confirmed after just a single campaign.
Blues managing director Alistair Mackintosh said five companies had already expressed an interest in stepping into the breach. "We don't know what will happen with the First Advice brand but I certainly don't think they will continue in the same form as before and therefore we will increase our family of sponsors," he said. "We have already been approached by five people who would love to sponsor the club and now, of course, we are negotiating from a different position.
"We are in the top half of the Premiership, we are moving to a new stadium and we are in Europe so it is a great opportunity."
Mackintosh revealed that one of the interested parties comes from China, where City have a big following due to defender Sun Jihai's presence in Kevin Keegan's squad.
Everton have taken advantage of Li Tie's arrival at Goodison Park to negotiate a lucrative sponsorship deal with Chinese telecommunications company Kejian. And 350m people in China tuned in to watch City's Premiership game against Everton on New Year's Day.
"We have approximately half a million supporters here at home and a massive overseas appeal," Mackintosh told City's website. "We have been pleasantly surprised to be talking to five different people but we are a club which is in demand.
"We have got a new stadium, we have got Kevin Keegan and we have the supporters so there is a feel good factor here."
Bureau Report
With administrators Pricewaterhouse Coopers still searching for buyers for the Amulet Group, it looks unlikely that City's current deal with First Advice will continue in its present form.
The club's new kit manufacturer Reebok has already begun producing home shirts for next season and City chairman John Wardle has ruled out a change during the campaign. But Premier League officials have said that the club would be allowed to have a different company name on its away shirts. The possibility also exists for City to have another sponsor displayed on the kit they will use for their Uefa Cup campaign. It should mean they do not lose out if the collapse of their £4m, three-year contract with First Advice is confirmed after just a single campaign.
Blues managing director Alistair Mackintosh said five companies had already expressed an interest in stepping into the breach. "We don't know what will happen with the First Advice brand but I certainly don't think they will continue in the same form as before and therefore we will increase our family of sponsors," he said. "We have already been approached by five people who would love to sponsor the club and now, of course, we are negotiating from a different position.
"We are in the top half of the Premiership, we are moving to a new stadium and we are in Europe so it is a great opportunity."
Mackintosh revealed that one of the interested parties comes from China, where City have a big following due to defender Sun Jihai's presence in Kevin Keegan's squad.
Everton have taken advantage of Li Tie's arrival at Goodison Park to negotiate a lucrative sponsorship deal with Chinese telecommunications company Kejian. And 350m people in China tuned in to watch City's Premiership game against Everton on New Year's Day.
"We have approximately half a million supporters here at home and a massive overseas appeal," Mackintosh told City's website. "We have been pleasantly surprised to be talking to five different people but we are a club which is in demand.
"We have got a new stadium, we have got Kevin Keegan and we have the supporters so there is a feel good factor here."
Bureau Report