Stoke City secure Boothen End sponsor

Wed 10th Aug 2011 | Football Sponsorship

Stoke City Football Club have completed a long-standing association with the securing of a sponsorship agreement for their stadium’s Boothen End.

Staffordshire University will now be associated with that particular section of the Britannia Stadium after becoming official partners of the Barclays Premier League club.

The partnership builds upon a relationship which has been well-established and mutually beneficial for many years now and has been notable for the fact that Chairman Peter Coates, manager Tony Pulis and President Gordon Banks are all Honorary Doctors of the University.

While both the Football Club and the University are major players in the local community, the brand alliance is seen as an opportunity to raise the global profile of both organisations.

The deal will see this section of the Britannia Stadium referred to as The Boothen End sponsored by Staffordshire University.

"This partnership continues to develop the relationship between two of the city's foremost institutions," said City's Chief Executive Tony Scholes.

"While the Football Club has made great strides forward in the last few years, the University can also be proud of its progress in that time.

"As well as the important roles that both institutions play locally, we have also helped to put the area on the map both nationally and internationally, and we therefore consider there are benefits to be gained from formalising this association with the new partnership.

"An encouraging aspect of the growth of our supporter base in the past few seasons has been the increase in the number of young fans and obviously we hope that many students, whether locally based or visiting the area, will become followers of the Club in the future."

City's Head of Commercial Andrew Billingham added: "This sponsorship of the Boothen End puts Staffordshire University right at the heart of the Club's supporters and it was equally important to them to be associated with local pride because of the prominent and influential role which they play in the local community.

"The University tested the water last season with LED Perimeter advertising which worked extremely well for them in terms of exposure through the global reach of the Premier League and indeed our success in the FA Cup. Now, this Official Partnership status increases their involvement with the Club which I am sure they will find extremely beneficial."

Paul Richards, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Staffordshire University, echoed those views, saying: "This agreement formalises what has been a close association with the Football Club for some considerable time now and one which has benefited both organisations.

"We share many of the same values and I am sure we can enhance our reputations through alliance of the two brands and through working even closer together, particularly on projects which will demonstrate our commitment to transforming the lives and aspirations of the local community."

He added: "As well as the increased exposure that we will gain at Stoke City's matches, there are many business to business benefits of having a much more active link."

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