Liverpool’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett hope to sell Anfield’s naming rights and are set to record the most expensive naming rights deal in the history of sport. Despite the recession, the owners look to raise a massive £250m by persuading a leading global firm to buy the rights to name Liverpool’s proposed new ground.
The co-0wners had earlier signed a record £20m-per-season shirt sponsorship agreement with Standard Chartered. Plans to build a new stadium had been set on the back burner due to Liverpool’s debts. The two Americans now believe they can underwrite more than 50% of the cost of building a new ground on a site earmarked on Stanley Park.
Current Liverpool Stadium
The benchmark they have set Liverpool’s commercial team is the deal signed between the New York Mets- baseball franchise and Citigroup. Citigroup had paid $20m (£12m) a year over 20 years to have a new stadium- Citi Field, opened by the Mets early in 2009. Liverpool believe they can outdo that.
Aerial plan view for the new Stadium
Despite debts approaching £300m and Liverpool’s onfield worries, Hicks remains bullish about the outlook for his club. He said Rafael Benitez would not be forced to sell star players even if Liverpool fail to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Hicks and Gillett are seeking new investors, in the hope of raising money to reduce the club’s debt by diluting their shareholding, and spoke of “significant interest”. They are undeterred by protests by Newcastle fans in response to their club’s stadium being renamed sportsdirect.com@St James’ Park Stadium and criticism of Chelsea, who last week announced they were looking to sell off naming rights to Stamford Bridge in the hope of raising £150m.
Proposed New Ground
Liverpool believe their situation is different, because they are building a new stadium rather than renaming an existing one. They regard as a precedent Arsenal, who signed a £100m 15-year deal with Emirates, which also included shirt sponsorship, when they moved from Highbury in 2006.
