A new sponsor will be unveiled for the Masters today. I understand it will be a major bookmaker [now confirmed as Ladbrokes Mobile].
I dare say some will be critical that snooker is leaning so heavily on the betting industry for financial support, just as it once depended on the tobacco firms, but I won’t be one of them.
Bearing in mind the John Higgins affair and other high profile negative stories of recent times the fact that betting companies want to put money into the sport is a vote of confidence in snooker, its integrity and the integrity of those running it.
Look around. We are not in the position we were in 25 years ago where obtaining sponsorship for snooker was easy.
In fact, it was so easy that the WPBSA could afford to behave in a manner so unprofessional it made you wonder how they got any sponsors at all.
The following is a true story, passed on by someone who would know: there was a tournament in the 1980s sponsored by a particular firm who wished to renew the deal.
The person charged with negotiating this invited the chief executive of said company to his hotel room to sign. For reasons best known to himself he decided to have his wife wait naked in a wardrobe. Shortly after the chief exec arrived she jumped out to surprise him.
It was supposed to be a moment of great hilarity but the chief exec was appalled and immediately scrapped any plan to continue in snooker.
But it didn’t matter. Someone else gladly stepped in and the good times continued to roll.
Except the sun eventually set on the boom years and then snooker sponsorship became tough.
Barry Hearn will always get sponsors because of his contacts and the professional way he does business.
But what snooker needs is to snare these companies for the long haul. A sponsor adds value to a tournament, and not just financial. Over time, it becomes synonymous with the event (for years people would talk of ‘the Bensons’ in relation to the Masters and, indeed, some still do).
The Masters deserves a sponsor who will help maintain its prestige, just as Betfred have for the World Championship. And if major companies are seen to be supporting the game, others may follow.
Reasons, then, to be cheerful as we head into 2011.
11 comments:
Sponsors I'd like to see in snooker:
Mr. Kipling's Exceedingly Good Cakes (lots of oldies watching snooker as we know)
Amstrad (especially their range of concealable cameras ideal for use in sting operations)
Cash Converters
Huggies (great way to exploit Ronnie's image)
Heinz Tomato Ketchup (Glass Bottle) (use these at the "traditional events" - Masters, Worlds, UK - because it's a gentlemanly and dignified game and it shouldn't make vulgar modifications to itself, just like you shouldn't squirt that awful squeezy bottle that makes that farting noise at the dinner table... tut tut)
Charmin (a good alternative for when the News of the World leaves you chafing)
UKIP
Foster's (Fosters Masters)
I'll have a pint of what anon 11-08am has had !!!!
It's finally confirmed as Ladbrokes Mobile, well done Barry Hearn, doing a fantastic job.
Ladbrokes Mobile are revealed today as the new sponsors of the Masters.
I was looking forward to talking about "The Pukka" instead of "The UK", but now it turned out some other way. I'd like to see more grocery sponsoring, becaus we non-betting people would also like to support snooker-supporting companies (by buying lots o' pies, that is).
The person charged with negotiating this invited the chief executive of said company to his hotel room to sign. For reasons best known to himself he decided to have his wife wait naked in a wardrobe. Shortly after the chief exec arrived she jumped out to surprise him.
It's like "Carry On Snooker" isn't it? You could just imagine that scene being played out by Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor.
My money was on bet bet bet.com sponsoring the Masters.
Not far off......if at all.
Charmin (a good alternative for when the News of the World leaves you chafing)
The WPBSA sponsorship negotiater deserves 10 out of 10 for imagination.
Rock n Roll.
id much prefer a sport brand got involved with the masters and the dress code relaxed
adidas, nike etc, with players clothed out in their clobber
(onnie could be with bodyform as he keeps making a anny of himself)
Dave, though it might be controversial, could you do a bit where you speculate as to how things would have turned out had Barry Hearn not taken over?
People might forget how bleak the future looked one year ago.
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