Villa's New Shirt Sponsor

[Moose]

Suprised this hasnt been posted earlier, apologies if it has ..

 

Villa unveil charity sponsorship

Aston Villa have announced a shirt partnership with West Midlands-based charity Acorns Children's Hospice.

 

The deal will see the charity's logo being carried on the club's shirts for free throughout the 2008/9 season.

 

"They look after people of Birmingham and the West Midlands and our fanbase covers that area," Villa's head of community Duncan Biddle told BBC WM.

 

"They have to compete against national charities for funds and hopefully this will elevate them to that level."

 

Acorns, which was established in 1983, cares for life-limited children and their families in the Midlands.

 

The charity has three hospices across the region, in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester.

 

Villa have supported Acorns since 2006 and offered a sponsorship deal after being told Acorns needed to care for an extra 1,000 children.

 

David Studley, chief executive of the hospice, told BBC WM the deal was an incredible moment. "We have a strategy that envisages reaching out to all the children across the West Midlands and it's a vast fund raising challenge.

 

"We have to do it quickly and the platform this gives us it amazing."

 

The deal is the first of its kind in the top flight and Villa's act has drawn praise from the Premier League's chief executive Richard Scudamore.

 

"Credit must go to Villa for being the first Premier League club to use its shirt sponsor to highlight and promote its charity partnership," he said.

 

"I am sure Acorns' association with Aston Villa will be of great help in raising awareness and funds for all the excellent work they undertake.

 

"The power of football and the power of the Premier League has long been something that companies have tapped into to reach audiences throughout the country and increasingly, across the globe."

 

I heard something on the Radio about Randy Lerner being a bit of a philanthropist, hats off to him for this.

 

 

Linky

[Boca]

Great gesture that.

[Murphman]

Fantastic.

[BDB]

Well in Villa.

[stressederic]

Good stuff

[R A Softlad]

Fair play to Villa.

[Redkop]

A very nice gesture...

[Tyler]

"life limited children"

Is it not PC now to say "dying children"?

[Swagger]

Impressive. Hats of to Lerner.

 

Another thing to remind us of the c**** that we ended up with.

[PhilM]

Does that mean that if we go cap in hand they might give us Barry for nowt?

[theredfella]

It's a nice gesture but I remember reading somewhere they also get some sort of siginificant tax break from it as well. Obviously it's still a good thing to do but perhaps not totally altrustic in its motives.

[Dmitch]

Even so a nice touch......... Makes you realise how much of the s*** we are in with Dumb and dumber

[Guest the Dude abides]

Great publicity for both parties.

[johngibo YPC]

It's a nice gesture but I remember reading somewhere they also get some sort of siginificant tax break from it as well. Obviously it's still a good thing to do but perhaps not totally altrustic in its motives.

 

That may mean they are not losing as much, but i seriously doubt they are gaining from it

[Bailo]

Wouldn't the charity be better served if Lerner just gave them £2m or so (or whatever a club like Villa can get for a year's sponsorship)?

[Gomez]

Wouldn't the charity be better served if Lerner just gave them £2m or so (or whatever a club like Villa can get for a year's sponsorship)?

 

I thought that when Barca did the same thing with UNICEF (I'd guess Barca could make a lot more than £2m a year), but it seems churlish to criticise, specially when we are whoring ourselves to a fizzy p*ss tasting lager company.

[Bailo]

I thought that when Barca did the same thing with UNICEF (I'd guess Barca could make a lot more than £2m a year), but it seems churlish to criticise, specially when we are whoring ourselves to a fizzy p*ss tasting lager company.

Oh absolutely. With Barca, there was a lot of speculation at the time that it was to open the fans up to commerical sponsorship - I can see Barca having something to gain. With Villa, it genuinely does seem to be a very nice gesture. Maybe I'm too cynical

[Ronnie Whelan]

I thought that when Barca did the same thing with UNICEF (I'd guess Barca could make a lot more than £2m a year), but it seems churlish to criticise, specially when we are whoring ourselves to a fizzy p*ss tasting lager company.

 

 

Carlsberg is the beer of choice for all civilised gentlemen.