About to lose our Sponsorship deal...

[Pat McMahon]

I for one will be glad to see a chinese gambling organization purged from our identity.

Brian, I get your sentiments but have to point out that Genting are Malaysian, not Chinese. No gambling in China, other than in the special jurisdiction of Macau ( which makes Vegas look like Pheasey).

[LeeB]

Aldi was the only place in Swindon which served the Villa fans a drink.   Besides they are wiping the floor with the so called up market supermarket chains, especially Morrisons.

In my humble opinion, there's no way in the world you could call Morrisons an up-market supermarket chain.

There own branded goods are welfare-standard at best.

[Mazrim]

We shop at Waitrose so everything is down market. Fwah fwah.

A few people used to use the public toilets next door for a spot of Genting.

[LeeB]

We shop at Waitrose so everything is down market. Fwah fwah.

A few people used to use the public toilets next door for a spot of Genting.

Waiting for them to throw out perishable goods doesn't count as shopping.

[Dazvillain]

I manage a sainsburys store, they would never sponsor villa as they're consistently the most successful supermarket of the last few years

[Mazrim]

We shop at Waitrose so everything is down market. Fwah fwah.

A few people used to use the public toilets next door for a spot of Genting.

Waiting for them to throw out perishable goods doesn't count as shopping.

Semantics.

[Risso]

As if being owned by Venky's wasn't bad enough, Blackburn are now sponsored by this chancer:

http://www.probiz-excellence.com/probiz/feisal.php

[5ft811st2 Durham]

It will never happen of course but if football is ever going to be properly competitive again shirt sponsorships must either be banned or at least a cap put on how much a company can pay the club that  it's "sponsoring"

[Mazrim]

A noble idea in theory (like communism) but is essentially a restraint of trade which is why, as you said, it will never happen.
What might work (although still highly unlikely) is if the shirt sponsorship money, over a cap, goes to charity. Companies still have to be the highest bidder and so on but over a cap (for instance, 10% of clubs turnover) the money goes to a designated charity.

[paul_e]

A noble idea in theory (like communism) but is essentially a restraint of trade which is why, as you said, it will never happen.
What might work (although still highly unlikely) is if the shirt sponsorship money, over a cap, goes to charity. Companies still have to be the highest bidder and so on but over a cap (for instance, 10% of clubs turnover) the money goes to a designated charity.

If it was in the best interests of the premier league it would happen, as it has in lots of sports, they could quite easily stipulate that 50% of all sponsorship deals for teams playing premier league matches goes into a big pot and is shared equally.  It won't happen because the profile of the league is based on having a small number of 'mega-clubs' who have shirt sales all over the world, which leads to the league being tagged as the 'greatest league in the world'.

[Pete3206]

How do we know that Villa aren't already talking to potential sponsors for next season? Another space filler from The Mirror.

[Mazrim]

No serious decisions will be made regarding sponsorship until we can be assured of survival.
It makes a huge difference.

[paul_e]

I'd suspect we're looking at getting an agreement along the lines of 'if you're still in the league then we'll give you £Xm a year unless you get relegated' and having a smaller backup offer to take if that one falls down.

[Mazrim]

It's more likely we'll have two offers to consider.

John Lewis if we stay up, HMV if we go down.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

A noble idea in theory (like communism) but is essentially a restraint of trade which is why, as you said, it will never happen.
What might work (although still highly unlikely) is if the shirt sponsorship money, over a cap, goes to charity. Companies still have to be the highest bidder and so on but over a cap (for instance, 10% of clubs turnover) the money goes to a designated charity.

Nice idea.