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News and Views from the Football League - The football league has new sponsors
Just when it appeared safe to start making “safe bets”, somebody had to go and throw a spanner in the works.
The foot of the Championship table makes dismal reading for Peterborough fans, their club presently sitting nine points from safety, a mountain to climb in anyone's books. However, if you had quizzed Posh fans on their survival chances a month or so ago, they would have given a far bleaker response than they might do now. The arrival of Jim Gannon at London Road appears to have galvanised a side that seemed all but down just a few weeks ago. The former Motherwell and Stockport boss has managed four wins from nine since his arrival at Posh, not a phenomenal return it should be said, but for a side battling the drop it is a pretty decent return. It would still be an almighty ask for Peterborough to survive in the Championship, but with the form they are showing under Gannon’s stewardship, suddenly there is renewed hope in Cambridgeshire.
The relationship between manager and club appears to be strong in this instance too, with Gannon having been offered terms to stay on as manager beyond the end of the currant campaign. He has stated how he is pleased with the contract offer on the table, but that he has not made his decision regarding his future owing to personal reasons. His mind has not yet been made up as to whether to uproot and bring his family to the area, and so he will only be staying on at Posh if the move is right for all concerned. It is refreshing to see a side put such faith in their manager however. The division Peterborough play in next season is far from determined yet chairman Darragh MacAnthony is clearly happy to have Gannon at the helm whatever level they compete at. Confidence in the manager can surely only breed confidence in the squad, and thus have an positive effect on the performances on the pitch. Gannon may not have decided on his future just yet, but it would seem as if the club want him to stick around for a long time to come.
Looking at the bigger picture in the lower leagues, the Football League looks set to continue its success following the announcement of a new sponsorship deal. The partnership with Coca-Cola comes to an end this season, but the league has joined forces with n power, in a deal which will run to the end of the 2012/13 season. The move will mark the end of the link with the soft drinks manufacturer, who began their sponsorship of the league during the 2004/05 season. It was this move which saw the re-branding of the lower divisions, the old titles of “Division One” etc, replaced by the modern and more excitingly named “Championship” and Leagues One and Two. The new partnership will see the divisions remain structured in the same way, just with the new sponsor’s name replacing that of the old.
The announcement included a pledge from the new sponsors to focus on the community feel of the clubs of the football league. Each of the 72 sides will receive a grant from the n power Charity Fund for a bespoke community initiative in the local area. It is this pledge towards community which will warm fans and clubs alike to the new partnership. All too often supporters feel completely disconnected from their team, especially in the Premier League where there seems to be such a focus on money and football in terms of a business. Of course n power have made their move with the motivation of raising brand awareness, but they are certainly making all the right noises in appealing to their new partners. It has also been suggested that the Football League turned down a more lucrative deal with a gambling firm, believing that this would not be a suitable union for their brand.
What should be taken from this is that the reputation and indeed importance of the Football League will continue to grow with this new partnership. Our lower leagues are the best supported in Europe, and the ability to attract such big name firms as n power and Coca-Cola before that as partners is indicative of the healthy environment that our clubs are able to compete in. Long may it continue.
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