ABSTRACT
Introduction Sponsorship has long been viewed as a powerful communications tool, generating increased awareness and a nity for brands. From the early professionalisation of sport, entrepreneurs have acted as benefactors in philanthropic agreements with their preferred sports team or athletes (Meenaghan and Shipley, 1999). As early as the 1900s, companies are known to have sought a liation with sporting events to promote their products; Slazenger was recognised as the rst Wimbledon partner in 1902 in an agreement which saw them provide match balls for the tournament (the company claims this to be the longest-running sports sponsorship in history). While in 1904 the proprietors of the White Hart public house are known to have supported the development of Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane ground (Szymanski and Kuypers, 1999: 67). Individual athlete endorsement and advertising deals also have a long history – postSecond World War Preston North End player Tom Finney, for example, promoted Shredded Wheat in a commercial arrangement that was much more lucrative than a player’s wages at the time. Despite reluctance from football’s governing body, the FA, by the 1970s sponsorship was becoming more commonplace. The rst football sponsorship in England occurred with the pre-season Watney Cup (named after the Watney Mann brewery) tournament of 1970.
