Post by Rangers on Oct 18, 2003 10:39:06 GMT 8
S-League okay naming rights for major club sponsors from next season
By G. Sivakkumaran
HYUNDAI Tampines Rovers... Coca-Cola Home United... SembCorp Woodlands. S-League clubs may sport new names next year if a proposal, mooted by Sinchi FC and given the nod by the League, catches on.
Sinchi's vice-chairman Wang Jinhui is soon heading for China, where he hopes to rope in a main sponsor for $800,000 a year.
The S-League have authorised him to dangle another carrot: naming rights.
For example, if a company, Great Wall, agrees to be the benefactor, then the club may be renamed Great Wall Sinchi FC next season.
Said S-League chief executive officer Chan King Fook: 'It sounds like a good idea and we support it. If local clubs want to do it as well, we will allow them as well.'
Added Wang: 'We're not giving up our name, merely adding the sponsor's name to ours. Sponsors wants mileage, and we can give them that through a deal like this.'
Club officials Timesport spoke with were enthusiastic over the change of heart by the League, which had previously disallowed naming rights.
Woodlands Wellington general manager R. Vengadasalam said: 'This will work well for the club and sponsor. It adds value to the company's dollar because everyone will read, hear or see their name.
'The sponsor becomes synonymous with the club's fortunes and that will be good for local football.'
Home United team manager David Conceicao added: 'It can be a win-win situation. If the offer is substantial, it would help the clubs a great deal, especially in these lean times.'
Naming rights are common with football clubs in China and South Korea, and baseball teams in Japan.
For example, tobacco companies Yizhong and Hongta sponsor China league sides Qingdao Yizhong Hainiu and Yunnan Hongta.
In Japan, newspaper giant Yomiuri sponsor the baseball team Yomiuri Giants.
In a frank assessment of the S-League, Wang said that local clubs must be more professional and business-like if they want to succeed.
'There is a lot of potential but some clubs are run like amateur associations. You need to be professional to be successful,' he said.
'The S-League gives them too much help as well.
'The clubs are in financial difficulties but they don't think of innovative ways to raise money. There is little incentive to do so when 50 per cent of their budget comes from the S-League.
'In China, the football association gives each club only about 10 per cent of their annual budget.'
To improve the S-League, a relegation system is needed, he added.
'That is the biggest incentive for a club to do well in any football league around the world,' said Wang.
He admitted that it had been a disappointing first season for Sinchi because they failed to reach their target of a top-half finish.
The club ended up seventh, a point behind Jurong.
'The start of our season was not good because we had five players who did not perform,' he recalled. 'We replaced them and improved.
'But during the transfer window, we brought in some players who impressed at the trials but did not do well in games. As a result, our performance dipped once again and we faded off.'
Sinchi have started looking for new players for next year. They are hoping to get more of the calibre of striker Chang Hui, who has played in China's top division and scored 24 goals this season.
Wang promised: 'We want to avoid some of the silly mistakes we made this season. Sinchi are here for the long term.
'Our target is a top-four finish next year, and we will go all out to achieve that.'
By G. Sivakkumaran
HYUNDAI Tampines Rovers... Coca-Cola Home United... SembCorp Woodlands. S-League clubs may sport new names next year if a proposal, mooted by Sinchi FC and given the nod by the League, catches on.
Sinchi's vice-chairman Wang Jinhui is soon heading for China, where he hopes to rope in a main sponsor for $800,000 a year.
The S-League have authorised him to dangle another carrot: naming rights.
For example, if a company, Great Wall, agrees to be the benefactor, then the club may be renamed Great Wall Sinchi FC next season.
Said S-League chief executive officer Chan King Fook: 'It sounds like a good idea and we support it. If local clubs want to do it as well, we will allow them as well.'
Added Wang: 'We're not giving up our name, merely adding the sponsor's name to ours. Sponsors wants mileage, and we can give them that through a deal like this.'
Club officials Timesport spoke with were enthusiastic over the change of heart by the League, which had previously disallowed naming rights.
Woodlands Wellington general manager R. Vengadasalam said: 'This will work well for the club and sponsor. It adds value to the company's dollar because everyone will read, hear or see their name.
'The sponsor becomes synonymous with the club's fortunes and that will be good for local football.'
Home United team manager David Conceicao added: 'It can be a win-win situation. If the offer is substantial, it would help the clubs a great deal, especially in these lean times.'
Naming rights are common with football clubs in China and South Korea, and baseball teams in Japan.
For example, tobacco companies Yizhong and Hongta sponsor China league sides Qingdao Yizhong Hainiu and Yunnan Hongta.
In Japan, newspaper giant Yomiuri sponsor the baseball team Yomiuri Giants.
In a frank assessment of the S-League, Wang said that local clubs must be more professional and business-like if they want to succeed.
'There is a lot of potential but some clubs are run like amateur associations. You need to be professional to be successful,' he said.
'The S-League gives them too much help as well.
'The clubs are in financial difficulties but they don't think of innovative ways to raise money. There is little incentive to do so when 50 per cent of their budget comes from the S-League.
'In China, the football association gives each club only about 10 per cent of their annual budget.'
To improve the S-League, a relegation system is needed, he added.
'That is the biggest incentive for a club to do well in any football league around the world,' said Wang.
He admitted that it had been a disappointing first season for Sinchi because they failed to reach their target of a top-half finish.
The club ended up seventh, a point behind Jurong.
'The start of our season was not good because we had five players who did not perform,' he recalled. 'We replaced them and improved.
'But during the transfer window, we brought in some players who impressed at the trials but did not do well in games. As a result, our performance dipped once again and we faded off.'
Sinchi have started looking for new players for next year. They are hoping to get more of the calibre of striker Chang Hui, who has played in China's top division and scored 24 goals this season.
Wang promised: 'We want to avoid some of the silly mistakes we made this season. Sinchi are here for the long term.
'Our target is a top-four finish next year, and we will go all out to achieve that.'