Author Topic: Villa unveil charity sponsorship (Read 6643 times)

StuwieG · « **on:** June 3, 2008, 12:18:37 pm »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/7433169.stm

Nice gesture from Villa but I doubt many other clubs could afford to go a whole season without a paid shirt sponser!!!

kingjari · « **Reply #1 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:33:23 pm »

I'd heard about this before, fair do's Villa and Randy Learner for giving the finger to corporate greed at least for a season and backing a local charity. Very heartening news.

ben · « **Reply #2 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:35:34 pm »

randy lerner is a fucking hero.

Crosby Nick · « **Reply #3 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:40:47 pm »

It's a nice gesture. Would be etra nice of them to donate their captain to us for no fee!

bradigor · « **Reply #4 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:45:32 pm »

Absolutely brilliant... Fair Play to their American owner.

Djibriliant · « **Reply #5 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:46:06 pm »

Nice gesture but can only be a bad thing for the club financially, surely

dan17 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:49:18 pm »

fantastic gesture. hope it makes a precedent for everyone else!

DangerScouse · « **Reply #7 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:51:12 pm »

Doubt they'd do it if they were worried about finances.

Redsfan71 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:55:11 pm »

Barcelona do something similar with their shirt sponsor UNESCO I think it is, good on Villa, maybe we'll throw an extra grand in for Barry as a goodwill gesture now.

Cochise · « **Reply #9 on:** June 3, 2008, 12:59:57 pm »

Well in Villa.

oojason · « **Reply #10 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:01:38 pm »

Top gesture - my Villa supporting mates all speak highly of Learner and the way things are being done since his arrival.

Fair play to them.

Something Else · « **Reply #11 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:02:42 pm »

Well done to them

hopefully more will buy the shirt so any financial losses are not as great as could be

great gesture

jooneyisdagod · « **Reply #12 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:03:45 pm »

Good on ya Randy.

Well done Villa.

AA1122 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:17:12 pm »

Thats fantastic, what a great gesture, good to see there are still some honourable people in football!

Wish we had owners who understood how things should be done!!!

Commie Bobbie · « **Reply #14 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:19:43 pm »

Quote from: Redsfan71 on June 3, 2008, 12:55:11 pm

Barcelona do something similar with their shirt sponsor UNESCO I think it is, good on Villa, maybe we'll throw an extra grand in for Barry as a goodwill gesture now.

It's UNICEF, that they have on their shirts.

Excellent intiaitive by the Villa.

IndianRed · « **Reply #15 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:21:04 pm »

Lerner is so far proving to be a brilliant owner. Fair play to him.
*sigh* So many options for investment available and we end up with G&H. Thanks a lot Rick and David.

ben · « **Reply #16 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:22:46 pm »

i think they will have one eye firmly on selling more shirts and gaining more fans with this. i doubt it's a total gesture of generousity.

not to detract from it. they'd deserve all the extra shirt sales they could get. wish other clubs would do the same.

StuH · « **Reply #17 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:47:48 pm »

This will make Villa look rosy in a lot of neutral's eyes

And fair play to them, its great PR for them too.

Learner is a great owner.

Something Else · « **Reply #18 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:53:22 pm »

Quote from: ben on June 3, 2008, 01:22:46 pm

i think they will have one eye firmly on selling more shirts and gaining more fans with this. i doubt it's a total gesture of generousity.

not to detract from it. they'd deserve all the extra shirt sales they could get. wish other clubs would do the same.

my point exactly

also some people who dont always buy their kids the shirt year in year out may well do

Dr Cornwallis · « **Reply #19 on:** June 3, 2008, 01:55:53 pm »

Dan86 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 3, 2008, 02:10:23 pm »

Great gesture, hope more clubs can afford to do the same.

ben · « **Reply #21 on:** June 3, 2008, 02:13:20 pm »

Quote from: Dan86 on June 3, 2008, 02:10:23 pm

Great gesture, hope more clubs can afford to do the same.

do you reckon we can?

GBF · « **Reply #22 on:** June 3, 2008, 02:25:35 pm »

Quote from: ben on June 3, 2008, 12:35:34 pm

randy lerner is a fucking hero.

and has the best name in football!!

Dan86 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 3, 2008, 02:42:22 pm »

Quote from: ben on June 3, 2008, 02:13:20 pm

do you reckon we can?

RBS sponsorship may be a good idea if they pay 30 mill a year.

Red Heaven · « **Reply #24 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:22:11 pm »

well in Villa

Okkervil · « **Reply #25 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:22:51 pm »

Fair play to Villa

Stussy · « **Reply #26 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:27:41 pm »

Randy Lerner is the kind of owner I wish we had.

Manila Kop · « **Reply #27 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:54:17 pm »

Another perspective on this: if Villa had simply donated the proceeds of their shirt sponsorship to the hospice, it would be a lot more meaningful to the charity. Free publicity is all well and good but it's just public relations unless it's backed by the cash. From the Guardian article, the charity's annual budget 6m pounds. Villa's shirt sponsorship with 32Red was 2m pounds a year. If it donated 50% of that every year to Acorn, it would be a 20% increase in their funds. Same goes for Barca. It's a nice gesture but I think hard cash is more helpful.

Degs · « **Reply #28 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:56:49 pm »

Quote from: Stussy on June 3, 2008, 04:27:41 pm

Randy Lerner is the kind of owner I wish we had.

Agreed.
Genuine interest without interfering, makes money and has money to spend, and looks after the future of their club (sure I heard Villa have bought loads of land in Birmingham).
And he's buying a house over here because he's become a genuine footy fan.

Spoiler

Twats

[close]

Degs · « **Reply #29 on:** June 3, 2008, 04:57:58 pm »

Quote from: Manila Kop on June 3, 2008, 04:54:17 pm

Another perspective on this: if Villa had simply donated the proceeds of their shirt sponsorship to the hospice, it would be a lot more meaningful to the charity. Free publicity is all well and good but it's just public relations unless it's backed by the cash. From the Guardian article, the charity's annual budget 6m pounds. Villa's shirt sponsorship with 32Red was 2m pounds a year. If it donated 50% of that every year to Acorn, it would be a 20% increase in their funds. Same goes for Barca. It's a nice soft gesture but I think hard cash is more helpful.

I say any publicity will be good for the charity though.
How many Villa fans will now adopt it as "their" charity?
Loads

Manila Kop · « **Reply #30 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:03:57 pm »

Quote from: Degs on June 3, 2008, 04:57:58 pm

I say any publicity will be good for the charity though.
How many Villa fans will now adopt it as "their" charity?
Loads

Hmm maybe. Having worked with some charities a 20% increase in the budget for next year is nothing to sniff at. I'd like to see a mechanism where Villa will donate a portion of shirt sales to the charity. I have to modify my previous statement, Barca did in fact back up their UNICEF shirt sponsorship with a hard cash donation which I forgot.

astrochimp · « **Reply #31 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:05:54 pm »

great move by villa

Oingy Boingy · « **Reply #32 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:09:07 pm »

is it from next year our junior and kids tops are'nt allowed beer sponsers on them ...well why couldnt our club do the same with the junior kits and a local charity as they look shite with nothing on them and wont sell, also it would be a nice gesture from the club for once and increase sales ....only applicable if hicks and co have done one.. if not i couldnt give a shite.

Degs · « **Reply #33 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:10:09 pm »

Quote from: wearthefoxhat on June 3, 2008, 05:09:07 pm

as they look shite with nothing on them

Bollocks

MJL · « **Reply #34 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:45:35 pm »

Something other clubs have to look up to, brilliant stuff

redbyrdz · « **Reply #35 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:47:33 pm »

Quote from: Commie Bobbie on June 3, 2008, 01:19:43 pm

It's UNICEF, that they have on their shirts.

Excellent intiaitive by the Villa.

Barca additionally donate 1.5 mio euro / year to unicef. but they don't have corporate owners who load the club with debt...

Walking Through A Storm · « **Reply #36 on:** June 3, 2008, 05:49:03 pm »

Well in.

fowlermagic · « **Reply #37 on:** June 3, 2008, 06:07:26 pm »

Well done indeed. Respect.

Rox · « **Reply #38 on:** June 3, 2008, 06:41:36 pm »

Quote from: Manila Kop on June 3, 2008, 04:54:17 pm

Another perspective on this: if Villa had simply donated the proceeds of their shirt sponsorship to the hospice, it would be a lot more meaningful to the charity. Free publicity is all well and good but it's just public relations unless it's backed by the cash. From the Guardian article, the charity's annual budget 6m pounds. Villa's shirt sponsorship with 32Red was 2m pounds a year. If it donated 50% of that every year to Acorn, it would be a 20% increase in their funds. Same goes for Barca. It's a nice gesture but I think hard cash is more helpful.

Not if you're looking to raise your profile. You can't buy this kind of Worldwide publicity for a million quid.

There's a lot of cynicism in this thread, which is a disgrace. There's no guarantee Villa will sell more shirts, so that theory is a bust - and they'd have to sell a shitload to make up the sponsorship deficit. If the owner said 'I'll cover that' and this gets Acorns the publicity they deserve, so much the better.

The publicity will last for much longer than a single cash donation.

Very impressed Villa have done this, frankly.

M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing) · « **Reply #39 on:** June 3, 2008, 07:52:11 pm »

The fucking cynicism from some on this thread is perhaps an indication of what we have become as a society. Someone makes what is, quite frankly, an amazingly gesture of charity and people try and look for the bad that they must see is inherent in it. Lerner and Villa didn't have to do this and wouldn't have been thought badly of if they'd done what every other club in the land have done and sold their shirts to the highest bidders but they do something entirely philanthropic and some snide cunce are telling us it's really a gesture of appalling sneakiness! Words fail me sometimes, they really do.