Liverpool FC, the Premier League soccer club, has confirmed that it will sell the naming rights to its new stadium, work on which is expected to begin by April.
The stadium, which will be built in Stanley Park, close to the club's current home ground Anfield, is seen as a key source of revenue by the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the club's commercial director Ian Ayre says Liverpool would be "crazy" not to sell naming rights to the new ground.
"Naming rights is now an accepted part of building any new footballing venue in the world," he said to SportsCity. "And as one of only a few global football brands, it would be crazy of us not to tap into that opportunity.
"It is an area that some of our competitors have dabbled – Arsenal for example – and it is an opportunity for us to step forward. But what is important is to find the right partner who offers the right cultural fit. Who knows who that would be for Liverpool, but we have certainly had some interest."
Arsenal have a £100 million deal in place with airline Emirates for stadium naming rights and shirt sponsorships, but Liverpool would hope to make far more from their new home.
Ayre has been elected to the Liverpool board, along with Philip Nash, LFC chief financial officer, and Casey Coffman, executive vice president of Hicks Holdings, in the aftermath of Tom Hicks Jr.'s resignation yesterday. Hicks, whose father co-owns Liverpool with fellow American businessman Gillett, allegedly responded: "B*** me f*** face. Go to Hell. I'm sick of you," to a fan's email questioning the club's finances.
The stadium, which will be built in Stanley Park, close to the club's current home ground Anfield, is seen as a key source of revenue by the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the club's commercial director Ian Ayre says Liverpool would be "crazy" not to sell naming rights to the new ground.
"Naming rights is now an accepted part of building any new footballing venue in the world," he said to SportsCity. "And as one of only a few global football brands, it would be crazy of us not to tap into that opportunity.
"It is an area that some of our competitors have dabbled – Arsenal for example – and it is an opportunity for us to step forward. But what is important is to find the right partner who offers the right cultural fit. Who knows who that would be for Liverpool, but we have certainly had some interest."
Arsenal have a £100 million deal in place with airline Emirates for stadium naming rights and shirt sponsorships, but Liverpool would hope to make far more from their new home.
Ayre has been elected to the Liverpool board, along with Philip Nash, LFC chief financial officer, and Casey Coffman, executive vice president of Hicks Holdings, in the aftermath of Tom Hicks Jr.'s resignation yesterday. Hicks, whose father co-owns Liverpool with fellow American businessman Gillett, allegedly responded: "B*** me f*** face. Go to Hell. I'm sick of you," to a fan's email questioning the club's finances.
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