CONFIRMED Major Sponsor unveiling - USG - Union Standard Group

[nopigfansintown]

Welcome to the board, HRH's best mate.

A shame that is not what he actually said. He was broke and trying to get some Saudi mates to chip in, hence he talked about sale for redevelopment.

He never mentioned a new 17 acre site anywhere else, but carry on making stuff up.

Not only that, the current site is more than four times that size. The centre of excellence is 2.5 acres ffs. His overall point on needing a bigger site may have some merit, however; particularly if SUFC want to meet cat one requirements in the future.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Not only that, the current site is more than four times that size. The centre of excellence is 2.5 acres ffs. His overall point on needing a bigger site may have some merit, however; particularly if SUFC want to meet cat one requirements in the future.

Reading are cat one as it is i think. And are getting a new training ground. The total area is 130 acres although how much of that is for club use i am unsure. a pitch is about two acres though and dozens of pitches even without the buildings soon add up.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Reading are cat one as it is i think. And are getting a new training ground. The total area is 130 acres although how much of that is for club use i am unsure. a pitch is about two acres though and dozens of pitches even without the buildings soon add up.

There are changing rooms, educational and conference facilities, parents lounge, cafeteria and viewing galleries, medical facilities, a gym, physio facilities, office accommodation for academy staff, and on-site living accommodation for a significant number of young players. Outdoors, there are five pitches including a full-sized floodlit pitch and a goalkeeping practice area. There is the biggest indoor pitch in Yorkshire, and a social club type building that Clough had renovated. There are also three or four car parks. In other words, far too much for 5 acres. The plan I saw in the early 2000s was for 22.5 acre site; I've seen nothing that contradicts this figure.
The Google earth view of our academy: https://earth.google.com/web/@53.40...62t,360r/data=ChUaEwoLL2cvMXZfdzF3eG4YAiABKAI

 

[GaryHamsonsLeftBootLace]

Thought I'd share a couple of charts with you that I've borrowed (i.e.nicked) form the excellent Kieran Maguire at priceoffootball.com.

As the title explains this chart shows how low our income from commercial deals was in our first season in the Championship (last season's accounts aren't yet available).

Commercial income is made up of things like catering and merchandise sales, but the majority is from sponsorship. Goodwill from sponsors towards us had been pretty low for the last 6 years due to our status in League One, and it didn't change much after our initial promotion. Also, for those questioning why we've now signed up an Australian sponsor and not someone local, local sponsors just don't pay the big bucks.

Leeds are top in this table possibly because they are (painfully) a more global brand and also from a one club city, so there's lesser competition for local sponsors. It also could be they have a very good commercial team and/or their owners are able to attract more international sponsors from their personal business networks. What's not clear is how much of this sponsorship is from their owners themselves - the Chansiri model - as a way of boosting income to avoid FFP breaches. Could be none, I might be doing them a disservice. Leeds' success in this area potentially does make McCabe seem a little silly with his recent comments about Leeds. They seem to be doing much better than we are in this area, despite their disadvantage of being worse at football.



(W**nesday, as we all know, haven't submitted their accounts so aren't included in the chart in case you were wondering).

As a comparison, this is the PL chart. Even Bournemouth generated more income from commercial activities than Forest, Boro or Birmingham. This is clearly the draw of the Premier League and its global coverage for sponsors. If you look at this chart, you'd expect us to be more of a draw than Huddersfield, Burnley or Watford for example. Merchandise will also sell better in the PL which affects these numbers. Catering income won't change much probably as Bramall Lane was close to being full many games anyway, so a few thousand extra pies per home game won't smash the records.

But look at the potential. We can probably forget the top 6 but there's nothing to suggest that a club like ours, if we can survive three or so years in the PL wouldn't be generating commercial income a the Stoke (the PL version), Palace, and Southampton levels. I've ignored Leicester as they indulge in the "self-sponsorship" model so their number is skewed.


Sorry if I bored you to death. Before you troll me just remember some of us are dull and nerdy enough to want to do this sort of shit as a hobby.

 

[GaryHamsonsLeftBootLace]

If our Commercial team have done better than initially anticipated and negotiated a tremendous deal, i would like to see two things happen off the back of it.

1) the SUFC negotiation team are financially rewarded with a nice little bonus and told there is more if they can actively secure other lucrative sponsorship deals - nothing like a nice bonus to wet the appetite.

Has anyone ever actually seen Weasel and Paul Reeves together in the same room?

 

[I should coco]

Sorry if I bored you to death.

You didn't bore me at all.

Before you troll me just remember some of us are dull and nerdy enough to want to do this sort of shit as a hobby.

From one dullard to another, that's a great post mate, with some excellent comparative information.

Can you do another one for the anti-Kevs, explaining "weer's muneh gone?"

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Just been talking to the CEO of USG at the copthorne, really nice bloke, sounds like they’ve really bought in to the club. He was singing McCabes praises but said they weren’t concerned about the court case.

Wouldn’t tell me about any signings tho.

 

[Bannerman]

Just been talking to the CEO of USG at the copthorne, really nice bloke, sounds like they’ve really bought in to the club. He was singing McCabes praises but said they weren’t concerned about the court case.

Wouldn’t tell me about any signings tho.

Singing McCabes praises? If he wasn't singing Allez Allez Allez he can do one.

 

[Bladesman]

This is their landing page today.

View attachment 55954

Then if you click "more about the sponsorship" it takes you here: https://www.usgfx.com/sponsorships

It's like a Blades fan has been allowed to takeover their site completely. I am surprised it doesn't have Annie's song playing in the background.

Fair play to them. Usually with previous sponsors we would just be an article on their news page.

 

[Blade56]

If our Commercial team have done better than initially anticipated and negotiated a tremendous deal, i would like to see two things happen off the back of it.

1) the SUFC negotiation team are financially rewarded with a nice little bonus and told there is more if they can actively secure other lucrative sponsorship deals - nothing like a nice bonus to wet the appetite.

And

2) any extra monies already received (i.e the monies in excess of what we originally budgeted for) should be chucked straight at Shirecliffe to enable improvements to commence. CW has already reiterated that this is close to his heart and wants something tangible to be his legacy - even if it is bricks and mortar which will give us a fantastic infrastructute for years to come. We should be looking to have state of the art facilities at Shirecliffe and making it a Premier League standard training base to enhance player performance and to impress potential new signings. This should be number 1 priority - even above the ground improvements.

The sponsorship was the work of McCabe all credit to him.

 

[Blade56]

Just been talking to the CEO of USG at the copthorne, really nice bloke, sounds like they’ve really bought in to the club. He was singing McCabes praises but said they weren’t concerned about the court case.

Wouldn’t tell me about any signings tho.

Selfie?

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

 

[blademark]

It’s a huge chunk up front increasing each season - providing we are EPL . That’s the jist off it.

I just watched the McCabe interview again, and his exact words were 'most of it is paid front end, and it increases every season'.
It's a tad confusing for an old bloke like me. It's a 3 year deal, increasing every year, but most of it is paid front end?

 

[Enigmatic]

I just watched the McCabe interview again, and his exact words were 'most of it is paid front end, and it increases every season'.
It's a tad confusing for an old bloke like me. It's a 3 year deal, increasing every year, but most of it is paid front end?

My interpretation:

The yearly payments increase each season, but aren’t paid lump sum. They’re front-loaded each year.

Say we’re receiving £6 million year one. It could be the case that we receive £4 million now and £2 million in January.

Year 2: £4 million and £3 million... etc

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Betti's said this deal is twenty times the old sponsorship deal
Anyone know how much that was ?

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Betti's said this deal is twenty times the old sponsorship deal
Anyone know how much that was ?

I've heard figures for this one ranging from £4.2m to £8m for this one

 

[DifferentClass]

Betti's said this deal is twenty times the old sponsorship deal
Anyone know how much that was ?

Believe Ramsdens was £300,000.

 

[TJB.]

I've heard figures for this one ranging from £4.2m to £8m for this one

Which one, sorry?

 

[Rusty view]

Which one, sorry?

I think it was said, possibly by McCabe, that the total would depend on how long we stayed in the Premier League, it isn't a lump some but staggered payments depending on league position.

So could will be from 4.2 worth up to 8m. (I'm guessing this bit)

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Which one, sorry?

This one. Not that one. This one.

It's been a long week pal.

 

[TJB.]

This one. Not that one. This one.

It's been a long week pal.

I can imagine, my friend. Big congratulations. Hope all is well.

Could've gone to France in the end, mind

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

I can imagine, my friend. Big congratulations. Hope all is well.

Could've gone to France in the end, mind

Could've gone to Portugal n all. That's the bigger sickener. I've barely had a drink for the last fortnight in case I had to drive to hospital. Might have to have a couple before Palace game.

Tell ya summat, the experience at Jessops is a mixed bag. On the one hand the midwives are fantastic. The patience they have is unrivalled. But the doctors and surgeons.... One of them almost got her stethoscope wrapped round her neck. Absolute disgrace. It's as if she was trying to get the last haribo out the packet because it was stuck in the corner. There's a baby in there ffs.

 

[TJB.]

Might have to have a couple before Palace game.

That's you out at 9am, then.

 

[blades95]

Wouldn't be surprised to see some LED boards here.

called it tbf

 

[WhiteHawk]

called it tbf

They've stuck the LED boards there but in the centre of the stand they're completely obscured by what I assume are gantry's that have been put there for TV cameras. (Although it didn't look like there were any there on Sunday).