City boss Glenn Roeder today welcomed the club's seven-figure, three-year sponsorship deal with insurance giants Aviva ? but admitted thoughts must now turn to 'Operation Premier League' in a bid to couple achievements on the pitch with those off it.
The Canaries revealed Norwich Union's parent company as Flybe's successors at Carrow Road this morning and the seven-figure amount is certainly a substantial figure in Championship terms.
Pairing a locally based, but worldwide brand with the club can only boost City's profile and as far as Roeder was concerned, it was yet another indication of the Canaries' standing in the football world.
And the Norwich chief was certainly delighted with today's announcement, which was made amidst a blaze of publicity on the Carrow Road turf.
“The new shirt looks fantastic,” revealed Roeder. “This happening today, with the quality of the new sponsor, has really capped a fine week for the club and for everyone involved at Norwich City.
“Our status in the Championship was nailed on with the three points on Saturday and to pick up such a big sponsor is fantastic. But it also shows the quality of this club and how much better we've got to do next year.”
And whilst Roeder revealed he was somewhat detached from the financial side of the deal, he admitted that the aim was to advertise the Aviva brand on the biggest stage in world football ? the Premier League.
A sponsorship agreement of this nature is all well and good, but the real talking will need to be done on the pitch. If City can sustain a successful promotion push then everyone will be happy – their new backers included.
“I don't know anything about the finances yet but if the figures that are being talked about are true, that's wonderful,” added the 52-year-old Canary chief.
“For Aviva to come up with such a big sponsorship for a club that's in the Championship next year is great and hopefully, within the three years they are with us, we can get into the Premier League. We can then really advertise what is a worldwide brand already.
“Having a worldwide brand associated with the club is absolutely wonderful. I'm very pleased to be here at this moment in time. Again, it just shows you that this club has got a big standing in the game of football.
“We've just got to make sure we take that to a new level in the next couple of years by climbing up into the Premiership.”
Elsewhere and majority shareholders Delia Smith and husband Michael Wynn-Jones were left in no doubt as to how important today's developments could prove to be for the Canaries' long-term future.
Carrow Road has certainly seen its fair share of sponsors since their arrival at the club in 1996 but the Smiths revealed that they always had one eye on Norwich's biggest employer. And now their wish has finally been granted.
“It's a huge day for Norwich City,” beamed Delia. “Ever since Michael and I became board directors, we've dreamed of having this shirt sponsor.
“And the fact they are announcing that they are becoming a world brand today is also fantastic ? not just for our football club but for Norfolk as well.
“Here we are in Norfolk, belonging to a worldwide brand that is the third largest insurer in the world, is just fantastic.
“It's a very classy brand. In football, you do see some funny ones, but Aviva is really classy and very 21st century.”
Like Roeder, however, the pair were remaining coy when it came to the subject on everyone's lips ? money.
But like Proton and Flybe before them, there will be a certain community element to this particular sponsorship package.
And alongside a new initiative linking football with money management skills for young people, renewed sponsorship of the Community Stand and funding of the club's Ability Counts scheme, Delia admitted that the club would be able enjoy plenty of other benefits from today's Aviva link up.
“You'll have to talk to Andy Cullen (City's sales and marketing director) about that, I don't do money!
“But it's very good news and there are all sorts of spin-offs. Where I am, doing functions, business meetings and trying to get people into the club, it's great that we have such a big customer now right on our doorstep.
“We've been trying for this sponsor for a while but there has been a change of personnel and I think the team that is now running the whole shoot has suddenly realised how fantastic we are!”
But when it came to Roeder's transfer budget, Wynn-Jones revealed that, as far as he was concerned, today's news would not alter a figure which one has to assume is already in place.
“I don't think it will make a significant difference because we've had sponsorship deals into the accounts for the last fifteen years. Glenn's budget will be Glenn's budget.”
In fairness, it would be counterproductive to start proclaiming to the world that the City boss' transfer war chest had just been boosted.
That, in turn, would have every other manager in the land raising their prices a few thousand here and a few thousand there. And the City hierarchy are cleverer than that.
Watch this space?
Tom Haylett
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