BT Local Business South Yorkshire and Humber has been named as the new stadium sponsors of the world’s first club, Sheffield FC.
The company, which provides communications technology solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises and the education sector across South Yorkshire and Humberside, has agreed a two-year naming rights deal.
The club’s ground, in Sheffield Road, Dronfield, has the capacity to entertain 2,000 fans. It will be officially unveiled as the BT Local Business Stadium on Saturday 5 September, when Sheffield FC entertain Mickleover Sports. BT Local Business will also be match sponsors for that game.
As part of the deal, BT Local Business – in conjunction with the club – will be offering 50 free match tickets to a local school for every Sheffield FC home game. The tickets will go to pupils with the highest pro-rata school attendance, with the best participating school receiving free coaching sessions at the end of the 2009/10 football season.
BT Local Business takes over as stadium sponsors from Bright Finance, whose owner Paul Hancock remains an active director of the club.
Guy Higton, the club’s Commercial Manager, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming BT Local Business on board as our main stadium sponsor in a deal which further demonstrates the strength of the club’s name and brand and the ability it gives us to attract big-name commercial partners.
“One of the main strengths of Sheffield FC is that we are a very community-focussed club and it’s pleasing to see how BT Local Business has recognised and seen the value in that.
“I would like to pass my sincere thanks on to Paul Hancock and all at Bright Finance for their long and continued support and am pleased that they will continue their association with the club beyond their sponsorship of our stadium, as we look to the future and the exciting times it will surely bring at the new “BT Local Business Stadium.”
Dave Hughes, business development manager from BT Local Business South Yorkshire and Humber, added: “We’re really pleased to be kicking off our association with Sheffield FC, the world’s first football club, with this stadium sponsorship deal.
Bob Dyson MD of BT Local Business added. “It will bring us some fantastic promotional opportunities due to the first class branding exposure on offer. We have clearly seen just how much of a part Sheffield FC plays in its local community and the difference that makes to the people of Dronfield and Sheffield in terms of making sport accessible to all and that is what attracted us to becoming stadium sponsors.
In addition, we aim to increase the level of donations to the Boots for Africa Charity.”
“We now look forward to working with our new partners at the club as we embark on an exciting future relationship.”
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