Blog

With the League of Ireland due to commence on the week ending 19thMarch, excitement is building around the return of domestic football in Ireland.
Once again, SSE Airtricity is the major sponsor of the League, renewing its sponsorship deal for another 2 years. This deal is much smaller than those of other European countries with Airtricity’s backing usually worth around €340,000 per annum.
With prize-money also improved whereby the 2021 Airtricity League Premier Division winners will pocket €130,000, (a slight improvement, as €110,000 was the prize between 2010 – 2020), it is still somewhat far off the financial prize the winners of the Scottish Championship (the tier below the League Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, St. Johnstone etc ply their trade in) will pocket £562,000.

The sponsorship market will radically change if gambling brands are banned from participating in English Premier League and English Championship, as the British Government reportedly now favours. Reports in recent days have claimed that ministers’ concern over gambling addiction is growing following the opening of a DCMS review of the Gambling Act in December, and that a ban on shirt sponsorship is a “likely” result.

COVID-19, the pandemic that swept

across the globe and dictated the lifestyle of billions for the past year has
had a huge impact on life as we know it. The sporting world fell to the mercy
of Covid-19 but despite this it brought entertainment and enjoyment to many
during this difficult year.

European clubs have been stripped of significant matchday income. Now, more than ever, clubs need a diversified range of income streams. 

Due to football being one of the highest entertainment sports in the world, it allows for many clubs to generate substantial income through commercial streams.

In 1973, German club Eintracht Braunschweig became the first in football history to put a sponsor on their team shirts, as they partnered with Jägermeister.

As we all struggle through this crazy unpredictable time, many things are uncertain in the world of football and, in fact, in the world itself. Despite the global pandemic slowly consuming our lives, sponsorship deals are still being secured between football clubs and companies all around the globe. These sponsorship deals are positively impacting both parties involved.

At a time when Irish football is reeling from the gross mis-management of the Association as outlined by two fantastic journalists who penned the superb “Champagne Football”, not to mention the fact that all League of Ireland clubs, like so many around the globe, are fretting about their financial viability due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, reigning champions Dundalk have no such worries after hitting the jackpot at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday night.

The 3-1 win over Faroe Islands club KI Klaksvik earned The Lilywhites a place in the group stages of the Europa League, guaranteeing them a windfall of at least €2.92 million. And, for any victory they might pick up in that group, they’ll earn another €570,000, while each draw would yield them €190,000.
To put it in context, Dundalk received just over €100,000 for winning the League of Ireland Premier Division title last season.

English club soccer’s top flight has had a turbulent time during the pandemic, but the last five months could only be the start of its commercial challenges.
If Covid-19 has torn up the sponsorship deal playbook, Premier League clubs find themselves in the unenviable position of trying to decipher and apply a new set of rules just weeks before English soccer’s top flight returns for the 2020/21 campaign.
During the height of lockdown, Premier League clubs moved to take stock of their three core earners – commercial deals, broadcasting contracts (what is that I hear League of Ireland Inc. ask!) and matchday income – and reassess fiscal projections for the financial year. Maintaining and brokering partnerships in an effort to offset losses were also top of the to-do list.

Clubs in English Football League’s (EFL) League One and League Two have recently voted for the introduction of new financial controls in the form of ‘Squad Salary Caps’ which take effect immediately. The decision follows extensive and comprehensive consultation with all clubs in respect of addressing sustainability and wage inflation issues across the EFL which were initiated prior to the suspension of football in March following the COVID-19 outbreak and have continued during the course of the summer.

Clubs in English football's top-flight Premier League are potentially facing a string of contract negotiations and legal battles with sponsors due to the delayed season finish from the Coronavirus pandemic.

A number of lucrative contracts between brands and clubs in English club football’s top-flight had been set to expire at the end of the 2019/20 league season, which traditionally concludes in May. But the COVID-19 outbreak has forced the Premier League to suspend play until at least 30th April, with the campaign now unlikely to be concluded until the summer at the earliest.

With talk in recent days of horrific ongoings at Waterford FC in our own League of Ireland, whereby all players and management were informed via email that they were being temporarily laid-off , it must be highlighted that even the most watched League in the World is not immune to the current pandemic that is Coronavirus (Covid-19).

In recent days, the FAI together with the NLEC and the PFAI presented a working document to all League of Ireland clubs and elite panel match officials on a potential return to football in June behind closed doors. Entitled ‘Return To Football – Behind Closed Doors’ - around best practice for the staging of matches when senior Irish football gets the green light to resume action from the Health Service Executive (HSE). This document incorporates all elements around the safe staging of games behind closed doors to ensure the health and safety of players, match officials and club employees and volunteers.

All of a sudden, in the course of 72 hours or so, what had been a steady stream — a postponement here, a ban on fans there, a piecemeal response to an all-consuming crisis — transformed into a flood.Italy suspended the Serie A season. Spain did the same with La Liga. On Thursday, a host of leagues across Europe followed suit including the Airtricity League of Ireland.
On Friday morning the Premier League — finally — decided to diverge from the stance of the British government and announce a hiatus, too. The SPFL and the Irish League followed suit.

At Halpin Sport Sponsorship I have worked with a plethora of elite football clubs and have been solely responsible for acquiring new sponsorships partnerships between the likes of Leicester City FC and FairFX, West Ham United FC and Scope Markets, Aston Villa FC and BODOG, Queens Park Rangers FC and Currency UK, Blackburn Rovers FC and Probiz Excellence, Huddersfield Town and Intensity Nutrition, Bolton Wanderers and Wix.com, Swansea City FC and The Energy Check, Deportivo Alaves and BetWay. I also introduced Coral as a new betting partner for Fulham FC and confirmed Bet Regal as the official betting partner for Dundalk FC. I was also solely responsible for securing DHL as Main Partner for Bohemian FC.

From a very tender age I had a football at my feet or a Shoot / Roy of the Rovers magazine in my hand, engrossed in all things football. Little changed over the years.

Playing, Watching, Learning, Loving the beautiful game.
A beautiful game that has provided the ideal platform for me to make a living out of, for the last 15+ years.
A beautiful game that has given me the pleasure to meet wonderful people, attend amazing stadia and events.