Sunderland have been very busy establishing partnerships around the world which could benefit us on and off the pitch, but how might they effect us in the future? Both on and off the pitch this season Sunderland have somewhat surprised and delighted in equal measure by the amount of partnerships which have been set-up. Some connect directly to our playing squad, most recently with Tanzanian league champions Simba SC which will see two of their most highly-regarded youngsters head to Wearside for a trial period in the near future. The array of partnerships which have been set-up by the club have seen Sunderland finally open their arms and welcome in the future of football - something which we've never been quick to do. It bugged me that when Vaux closed we went local once again, sponsorship-wise, with Reg Vardy. Not since the early 1990's and West Ham adorning Dagenham Motors has a Premier League team in a huge stadium had to settle for a local car dealership. Understandably people wanted to see the club continue to embrace its locality, however it was a good time to move on and we didn't take it. We'd moved grounds, changed crests and nicknames but a sponsor seemed too much to bear for the powers that be. Finally it seems off the pitch we're joining the real world, and really building for a brighter tomorrow. The first move of note came a while back with the line-up with top Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko. While nothing has particularly happened on that front yet apart from a few niceties being exchanged, it should be a very good thing for the future to be exchanging players and views with one of the most successful sides in Ghana's history. In addition to that and the Simba deal, others have since followed which could bring lots of success. Further links in Africa with the opening of an Egyptian Sunderland AFC Academy and a deal similar to that we have with Asante with South African Premier League side Bidvest Wits. Deals of this nature certainly establish us as one of the first in the queue for the next age of African talent to come to the Premier League and create a direct route to it too as opposed to players moving through France, Belgium or Holland first and a premium being put on them. We ourselves would be the ones to put that premium on when it comes to selling. Good players and big profits. What's not to like? There's also the links with SK Lierse in Belgium. Another which could prove significant in terms of acquiring passports and loaning players who aren't quite ready for the 25-man squad at the start of the season. Rumour has it (at time of writing) that this is where recent impressive triallist Tom Oostinjen will end up next season. There's also FC Gava. A Spanish third tier side based on the outskirts of Barcelona. While they might not be performing at the highest level, they do offer us the chance to use one the premiere training facilities in Spain for warm-weather winter training camps, if we don't bugger of to Dubai again. The little-known Catalans also have a strong focus on youth players, with Oriol Valero and Dani Hernanddez set to join our Academy next season having impressed on a recent trial. The recently achieved Academy Level One status is a huge boost to us, being one of only a handful of teams allowed to develop young players without restriction, be they from South Hylton, South Africa or South America. There'll still be plenty of home-grown talent coming through the Academy Of Light, but it's great that we can have the option to find ourselves a potential Cesc Fabregas or someone like that. You only need to hit on one or two every year and we now have a plethora of options to do so.
Cannot disagree future is looking better. But it is on the pitch and results that count, Wickham was £8m that has as yet not paid off, we still need 11 points to stay in the EPL, and our form has been patchy to say the least and generally performances have been turning fans off, just defend and defend etc.
Sounds like the partnerships off pitch are coming along fine.Not sure about on it just yet. or am Imissing the point? Tbf Reg Vardy was upwards of 100 dealerships ranging from the top of Scotland, not sure how far south, however was hugely profitable hence being taken over by the largest company of it's type in the UK. What SAFC got out of it I don't know.I also believe Dagenham motors was in fact FORD.
Good read Poolie. I am definitely looking fwd to the deal with the Belgium club....the talent coming out of Belgium at the moment is phenomenal.....& young Spainish talent just speaks for itself! We seem to be also setting up links in Asia too. I wonder whether Ellis Short is also setting up links in the Americas?
Having re- read the OP got to say it can only be good for the club, but I think most premier teams are doing just this. Sky/sponsorship have put so much into the English game that the rest of Europe (Platini) are not happy with it and the fair play spending is about to come in. If any club can get 2/3 players in a team of 11 for next to nothing then it's a £15/20m saving straight away. The crazy spending on wages/players is so unsustainable for 90 % of clubs it has to end. Just feel that the big clubs are already on board and will still/always get the pick of the crop.
Interesting article..... Some things don't add up imo.. All these partnerships.. Next we'll be going of to say, Asia, maybe somewhere like Korea in pre-season, and have talks of potential deals with companies like Samsung etc about sponsorship.. Who know we may even buy the next big thing from their league.... ................................................ Next opinion.. Along the same theme, but bringing in all these young kids from foreign land, will that be a help or a hindrance to the British youngsters who hope to make a living from the game? Sure if every club took the same route, in future years the national squad will be nil and void.. Just my opinion like, but maybe the game is already fooked anyway.
Next opinion.. Along the same theme, but bringing in all these young kids from foreign land, will that be a help or a hindrance to the British youngsters who hope to make a living from the game? Sure if every club took the same route, in future years the national squad will be nil and void.. Just my opinion like, but maybe the game is already fooked anyway.[/QUOTE] Not if we only took the cream of the crop....imagine if we unearthed a Messi (although unlikely!) type player! If our local kids are good enough, they will make it.
Oh just read ur post properly Fu King! My bad....yeah that would fook the British game! Although we can always nationalise them...if we get them young enough!!
As I understand it we get kids into our Academy as young as 8 - so why are not developing into worthwhile players. Running costs to produce one EPL quality player would be nice to know. Not Henderson please - LFC way overpaid.
I would imagine it would cost more to produce a young english player than a foreign one and I say that for two reason's first of all Newcastle have told there scout to go and find then 10-20 players in France that were born between (cannot remember exactly now but think it was) 91-93 as it will save them money rather than looking on our shores. and I was reading a report on the defender we are linked with Stopilla Sunzu who plays for one of the richest African clubs, there owner has got plenty of money and there players are on 10,000 a week, it went onto say that players in the prem turn down 60k because they want 100k but over there 10,000 is a lot of money to them and they cannot believe they are getting that sort of money and thats for the better players who are playing there not the youngsters with potential who we will be bringing over dirt cheap.
We need 7 points - 36 points will see you stay up this year. Easy.. Good post and information btw, thanks Poolie.
Yes it was a good post by Poolie, but the unsubtle point I am making is that at times I think we are taking our eye off the key issue, the performance of our first team. All these other things do help to bring in cash and players in the long run but what is happening now in the short term on the pitch with the first team is crucial for everything else. We have been very Jekyll and Hyde this season, is it because MoN needs his right hand man? Or something else, our dire performances and defend defend tactics are driving fans away..we need to get this right and not be distracted by peripheral matters. Bryne and Short are very talented and they have to concentrate on the first team and what surrounds and influences it!
We will have everything covered from the first team now and looking for players who can come in now and also with all these feeder clubs who in the future might help us find a couple of really good players. I think the performances are mainly down to MoN's negative tactics but I do think we need another 3 transfer windows before we are at were Short and MoN want us to be, there is quite a few players in the squad who IMO are not good enough to help us get into that top 10 on a consistant basis and I don't mean sneaking a top 10 spot on the last day I mean being consistantly in that top 10 all season. After those 3 transfer windows I would imagine we will of injected quality into the first team and into the rest of the squad and then we will be good enough to take chances on 2 or 3 of these young African lads a season to see if they have what it takes to make it at this level.
