Football finances, 'big 4' style

[Lord Kangana]

Love how slimy Scudamore tries to twist this in to some credit for the Premier League....

Hats off to Villa for doing this.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Perhaps this is just the way my mind works, but....

Wouldn't the said charity be better off if Villa had just negotiated the biggest sponsorship deal possible and then paid the entire amount to them?

[Lord Kangana]

Perhaps this is just the way my mind works, but....

Wouldn't the said charity be better off if Villa had just negotiated the biggest sponsorship deal possible and then paid the entire amount to them?

Hmm....fair point.

I'm not entirely up on Charitable status, but maybe there are tax implications to that approach. And wouldn't Villa have to pay tax on the sponsorship amount?

The only other thing I can think of is the 'publicity' aspect - not just their name in the papers, but maybe they are hoping a huge benefactor is attracted in doing this, and can therefore share the limelight of being charitable? (forgive my natural cynicism, but...)

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I don't think donating a lump sum to a charity like that would attract any tax.

I'm a cynical person too... this just reminds me of when friends and acquaintances ask me to sponsor some self-indulgent 'charity' trip to Africa when they'd be much better off staying at home and donating the cost of the air fare...

[villafan]

Acorns has been Villa's preferred charity for some time now, the work that the charity does is superb.

Villa will continue to help fund the charity as we have done before but the idea of the shirt sponsorship is to raise the profile of what they do to a whole new audience and hopefully as a result generate even more funds for them over a longer period of time. This way the charity will be seen from a world wide perspective every week of the premiership season. On the Villa forum I subscribe to the general consensus is that more people will be happy to buy and wear the shirt and now there is already talk about ways that the average fan can contribute to the charity.

The whole get 3 million and just give it to Acorns is seen as not the best way to raise the profile and generate bigger funding

[communistworkethic]

Hope you don't mind me posting this here but I am SOOOO proud of Villa today.

We announced our shirt sponsorship for next year. Basically rather than taking money in we are having a local charity on our shirts

well done for copying Barca

[Batman]

Hope you don't mind me posting this here but I am SOOOO proud of Villa today.

We announced our shirt sponsorship for next year. Basically rather than taking money in we are having a local charity on our shirts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 433169.stm

Villa unveil charity sponsorship
Acorns logo

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.


Credit must go to Villa for using its shirt sponsor to highlight and promote its charity partnership

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore
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.

"It is just amazing. This is the platform we have all been looking for," he said.

"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.
Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen at Acorns
Villa captain Gareth Barry (r) and Martin Laursen on a visit to Acorns

"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."

Thanks from a very proud Villa fan

Proud? Get a life you sad Yam Yam tit

[David Lee's Hair]

Saw that this morning, must say it's a pretty nobale thing to do. I think having Lerner's billions behind them will help, but still all credit to Villa.

[communistworkethic]

Saw that this morning, must say it's a pretty nobale thing to do. I think having Lerner's billions behind them will help, but still all credit to Villa.

they serve that in Amsterdam

[David Lee's Hair]

Saw that this morning, must say it's a pretty nobale thing to do. I think having Lerner's billions behind them will help, but still all credit to Villa.

they serve that in Amsterdam

In some places yes

bah! Too early to spell when I posted it