Newcastle United’s new owners were given a boost (of sorts) on Tuesday, as they will now be permitted sign up sponsors from Saudi Arabia, after a temporary ban (in place since October) on clubs bringing in owner-related deals was lifted, as reported in The Telegraph.
The only caveat is that all such sponsorship deals must be priced at ‘fair market value’ and this will be overseen by the Premier League’s legal department and specialist data analysts concerning football’s commercial revenues.
The price of Newcastle’s sponsorship deals will therefore be compared to those of similar sized clubs, tellingly, those outside the so-called ‘big six’ whose net worth dwarves that of NUFC currently.
Newcastle do, however, already make good operating profits and Mike Ashley (for all his faults) did leave the club on a sound financial footing; this means FFP rules will not be a significant factor in limiting spending on players and wages.
A significant rise in sponsorship income is vital, however, if the club’s footballing ambitions over the coming years are to be met.
Being able to strike generous deals, albeit at ‘fair market value’ means that a whole host of new partners will likely come on board from industries that may not have previously been involved.
St James Aramco Park has a nice ring to it for 50 million
PHILIP RENNER(Quote)