Coventry City’s Commercial Director Denies Sponsorship Deficiency

Coventry City’s commercial director, Justin Tose, has waived away claims of an exodus of sponsors leaving Sky Blues following their relegation into League One.

The relegation will have a detrimental effect to the club and they are expected to lose out on millions of pounds worth of sponsorship money from the Football League next season.

Last year the Sky Blues received somewhere in the region of £2.3 million from the Football League Pool Account, which includes all TV and sponsorship money from the Football League.

That figure is set to substantially drop to below £650,000 next season, and looks set to come down further when TV revenue us reduced for the 2012/13 campaign.

The club can also expect season ticket and matchday ticket sales to drop.

Average attendance figures have dropped by 7,000 since moving to the Ricoh Arena in 2005, and that trend looks set to continue following the drop into League One next season.

The Sky Blues still have one year remaining on the current kit deal with City Link Coventry, who pulled out of a three year sponsorship with the City ladies team this year two years into the agreed term.

But Tose is confident no such deal will be broken this summer despite the clubs position.

He said: “Our medium-term sponsorship deals remain in place but we understand that the drop into League One could affect new sponsorship opportunities.

“We have already been looking into how League One football will affect the club commercially and that will form part of the review that is going to take place in the next few weeks. Many of our local sponsors and supporters have, however, indicated that they will back the club next season and, indeed, whatever division we are in.

“That kind of support is a huge help as we build for the future.”

by Ismail Uddin