Sunderland's new shirt deal, understood to be worth around £20million a season, may not be quite what it seemed when it was announced last week. In return for the cash, Sunderland will carry on their shirts the name and logo of Invest In Africa, which Sunderland described as a 'ground-breaking, not-forprofit initiative' to help promote investment in Africa. Former Foreign Secretary David Milliband, Sunderland's vice-chairman, was also at the launch of the sponsorship and Sunderland chairman Ellis Short, a Texan, added to the quasi-charitable tone of the announcement by saying: 'What stands out is ⦠it truly gives something back to both our own region and to [Africa].' But far from being a charitable deal of any kind, IIA, which also describes itself as a 'not-for-profit business initiative', has been set up and, for now, remains solely funded by Tullow Oil, a £12.5bn stock market-listed firm with major operations around the world, especially in Africa. The IIA website boasts that it is 'building a partnership of companies operating successfully on the continent to inspire other businesses to follow their lead'. In fact, Invest In Africa has only one partner, Tullow Oil, six months after IIA was launched. Tullow spokesman George Cazenove has confirmed that while IIA is technically an independent entity, it was founded by Tullow and employs just one person, director Will Pollen. In effect, Sunderland's sponsorship deal is with Tullow, who have been accused of pocketing wealth from African nations' resources, and of damaging local business, notably fishing in Ghana, where there are exclusion zones around rigs. Cazenove admitted that IIA's website description of multiple founding partners 'was definitely a PR mistake', although he added: 'There will be other partners, significant companies, household names from various sectors, and soon.' And on the status of Sunderland's new sponsors, Cazenove said: 'Let's be clear, this isn't a charitable enterprise, it's not about altruism. 'It's not aid that will help Africa, it's investment. Having a billboard will spread that message - and Sunderland's shirt is that billboard.' Sunderland will profit from the cash windfall and hope they gain fans in Africa through having the word on their chests. Tullow want a more westernised business culture across Africa to help boost their own coffers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20m thats far more than what we had with Tombola and Boylesports surely
Third richest in the country apparently and ****s all over the bingo winnings tombola and Boylesports were paying us. Sounds dodgy as f*** :-D
Most African countries, maybe with the exception of South Afrika, rely heavily on the big oil companies as their major source of income. Without it, they couldn't survive and even with it, many are struggling due to corrupt governments not passing on the money. I work in Nigeria and the oil company i work for has a 40/60 split ratio with the Government, 60% in favour of the Nigerian government. I can't speak for Tullow as i don't know their rates, but if you do the maths on what it costs to get out of the ground and how much they get out of the ground, then you soon realise that it's silly money and wonder why these countries are still pleading poverty. It just doesn't add up. The no fishing policy is common by the way. If Tullow Oil want to give us £20m a year for putting IIA on the front of our shirts, then i can live with that, bollocks to the morality of it all.
I'm sure Ellis Short has done his homework on Tullow Oil as this has been in the pipeline for about a year now (rumours anyway).
I don't think it is a great surprise to hear 'nay sayers' complaining about oil companies' activities in Africa. They will obviously have an effect on the environment etc. but this has to be balanced out by the fact they do bring jobs and create wealth. That's what our partnership is about - attracting other companies to work with the oil companies to improve the economic viability of Africa as a place to do business, and spread the word in a huge continent that loves football, that there are more teams to support than Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. My daughter lives in Uganda now and she says the African people are their own worst enemies - there are rich local people but they won't invest in fellow African businesses because they don't trust them. If this deal attracts more foreign investment to give local businesses a 'leg up' then more companies will grow and be seen as better risks for local investment too. Win-win all round hopefully.
Does not take long, we do a great deal for Sunderland and they cant wait to find a fault and its all about morality. When you look at the moral sponsors we and others have had, betting, beer, finances, how dare we make money and promote the club.
Tha richest bloke in the town I live in is David Gold, who made hundreds of millions from sex toys (he owns Ann Summers). Does a lot of stuff for charity and owns half of WHUFC. You think the charities and Hammers fans fret about dildo money?
****in bunch of hippies. I would love to see them live without oil and gas. I work my ass off in some unbearable conditions most of the time, and they want to stop me going out and earning my living to provide for my family. Oil investment in Africa is the only thing keeping it going.
£20 million a year lads! ****ing jackpot! I believe Tombola was ONE million a year. Considering our losses last season, in your ****ing face FFP! Now if we could ever ****ing qualify for Europe, we'd be allowed in! Well done marketing team at the club, that is an incredible deal.
My opinion of Ellis Short and his real intentions are becoming more clear to me as time goes on. Considering the fact under Bruce, we brought in more transfer fees than outgoing fees and under O'Neil there still seems to be a shortage of money, along with the obviously dodgy sponsorship. I honestly do question his motives. I'm ready for the onslaught after saying that but it is how I feel.
I couldn't give 2 ****s about the morals of the company. I care about SAFC, and £20million per year is a stunning result. Tell me though, what's dodgy about it? The fact they are African? If BP were behind it, nowt would be said, and let's not pretend they are squeaky ****ing clean! As for 'shortage of money', where's the evidence of this? The window has been open 12 hours!
I say shortage of money because of the sounds that seem to be coming out of the club about O'Neil needing to 'balance the books' and looking to off-load players to make 'funds available'
Short said 'we are not going to be looking to buy players because they are cheap, we are looking for the quality'. Balancing the books is part and parcel of any business in the real world.
