lishiyo
Still frustrated :(
- Aug 24, 2008
- 2,368
- 1
tipped off by 606:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=248620
SIX Bahrain firms are in talks with English football club Tottenham Hotspur over the naming rights of its proposed new 58,000-seater stadium in London.
The club's executive director Paul Barber yesterday confirmed the discussions during a three-day visit to Bahrain.
Spurs are one of the Premier League's highest-profile teams and are ranked by Forbes as the 11th most valuable team in the world, with an estimated worth of $445 million (BD168m).
The club's current stadium White Hart Lane has a capacity of only 36,257 and a new stadium has long been considered a priority.
"One of the reasons that we're in the Middle East is that we're talking to a number of different companies about the potential opportunity of naming our stadium after their company and we very much see the this region as a potentially critical area in finding such a partner," Mr Barber told the GDN yesterday.
He said half a dozen meetings with undisclosed Bah-raini firms were plan-ned during the trip, after which club officials will visit Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
"Although all of these meetings are private, we're not so naive as to think that the Middle East is full of pots of gold for Premier League clubs to come and take money from," he said.
"We believe that there is a two-way commercial opportunity here.
"We're offering a global organisation the opportunity to put a name on a stadium in the heart of London, but we also expect to provide a return on their investment with the publicity that our club achieves.
"We've always been a famous club.
"There are lots of Uniteds, Rovers and Cities, but there's only one Hotspur!"
With more than five billion international viewers per year, the Premier League is considered the world's biggest sporting stage and Mr Barber was keen to emphasise that any deal would benefit the firm's home country also.
"We're not coming here and just expecting a big cheque and for us to walk away," he said.
"We're keen to meet local football clubs, meet MPs and look at ways so if we were to partner up with a firm in this region, how we could put something back into football back in this area.
"If the development of football in this part of the world can be encouraged and refined by us then fantastic."
Mr Barber also remained open-minded at the prospect of bringing Spurs to Bahrain for a pre-season tour - noting they had already benefited from in-creased ex-posure in the Middle East with the inclusion of Egyptian players Mido and Hossam Ghaly.
The club's north London rivals Arsenal struck deal reportedly worth £100m (BD56.6m) with Emirates airline in 2006 over the naming rights over its then new stadium.
Spurs would also not be the first Premier League club to take advantage of investment from the Middle East, with the takeover of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG).
Gulf Air also signed a three-year £7m (BD3.96m) sponsorship deal with English Championship team Queens Park Rangers last year.
Meanwhile, Mr Barber does not believe that Spurs' traditional ties with the Jewish community will hamper the team in finding an Arab-based sponsor.
"We've got a truly multi-denominational supporter base with a complete range of religions coming into the stadium week in - week out," he said.
Dunno how trustworthy the source is :shrug:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=248620
SIX Bahrain firms are in talks with English football club Tottenham Hotspur over the naming rights of its proposed new 58,000-seater stadium in London.
The club's executive director Paul Barber yesterday confirmed the discussions during a three-day visit to Bahrain.
Spurs are one of the Premier League's highest-profile teams and are ranked by Forbes as the 11th most valuable team in the world, with an estimated worth of $445 million (BD168m).
The club's current stadium White Hart Lane has a capacity of only 36,257 and a new stadium has long been considered a priority.
"One of the reasons that we're in the Middle East is that we're talking to a number of different companies about the potential opportunity of naming our stadium after their company and we very much see the this region as a potentially critical area in finding such a partner," Mr Barber told the GDN yesterday.
He said half a dozen meetings with undisclosed Bah-raini firms were plan-ned during the trip, after which club officials will visit Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
"Although all of these meetings are private, we're not so naive as to think that the Middle East is full of pots of gold for Premier League clubs to come and take money from," he said.
"We believe that there is a two-way commercial opportunity here.
"We're offering a global organisation the opportunity to put a name on a stadium in the heart of London, but we also expect to provide a return on their investment with the publicity that our club achieves.
"We've always been a famous club.
"There are lots of Uniteds, Rovers and Cities, but there's only one Hotspur!"
With more than five billion international viewers per year, the Premier League is considered the world's biggest sporting stage and Mr Barber was keen to emphasise that any deal would benefit the firm's home country also.
"We're not coming here and just expecting a big cheque and for us to walk away," he said.
"We're keen to meet local football clubs, meet MPs and look at ways so if we were to partner up with a firm in this region, how we could put something back into football back in this area.
"If the development of football in this part of the world can be encouraged and refined by us then fantastic."
Mr Barber also remained open-minded at the prospect of bringing Spurs to Bahrain for a pre-season tour - noting they had already benefited from in-creased ex-posure in the Middle East with the inclusion of Egyptian players Mido and Hossam Ghaly.
The club's north London rivals Arsenal struck deal reportedly worth £100m (BD56.6m) with Emirates airline in 2006 over the naming rights over its then new stadium.
Spurs would also not be the first Premier League club to take advantage of investment from the Middle East, with the takeover of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG).
Gulf Air also signed a three-year £7m (BD3.96m) sponsorship deal with English Championship team Queens Park Rangers last year.
Meanwhile, Mr Barber does not believe that Spurs' traditional ties with the Jewish community will hamper the team in finding an Arab-based sponsor.
"We've got a truly multi-denominational supporter base with a complete range of religions coming into the stadium week in - week out," he said.
Dunno how trustworthy the source is :shrug:
