Sponsor Watch

[Football Pope]

 

[dlanod]

I didn't realise this:

A corporate betting agency’s logo is set to appear on an AFL jumper for the first time since 2013 with the Brisbane Lions on the verge of signing a deal with online bookmaker Neds.

...

St Kilda’s jumper had a Centrebet badge between 2011 and 2013.

I must have become so inured to it from the NRL games I do watch from time to time that I'd assumed there'd be other clubs in the AFL. I do remember the St Kilda branding.

 

[Nunez]

Caroline Wilson gave the Lions a scalding on Caro’s Arrow on Footy Classified last night over this debacle of a sponsorship deal and having the shit company’s logo on our jumper.

Must be so easy being a journo.

 

[Dylan12]

I didn't realise this:

I must have become so inured to it from the NRL games I do watch from time to time that I'd assumed there'd be other clubs in the AFL. I do remember the St Kilda branding.

I will say, the amount of betting agencies that are the shirt sponsors of European football clubs is massive and is even more prevalent in the top flight of English Football.

It did make me thing to the other week when I was watching a Championship match between Leeds United and either Derby / Nottingham Forest and both teams were sponsored by 32Red. Anyways, the numbers are alarming in the top flights of English Football.

Nearly 60 per cent of the clubs in England's top two divisions will have gambling companies on their shirts this season – nine of 20 in the Premier League and a staggering 17 of 24 teams in the Championship.

 

[BangyBangy]

Must be so easy being a journo.

Hutchy came to our defence tho and dare I say it 'shouted her down'. And by coming to our defence I mean looking after his own commercial interests with his mates in the gaming industry.

 

[Viceregal]

Leaving whatever personal moral or preferential opinions aside...

I watch AFL football and read AFL websites and if the existence of gambling or the promotion of gambling was a deal breaker for me I would not be able to do either as betting/odds etc is somewhat pervasive ...

While part of me loves the aspects of the club where eg we try and dispose of the ball correctly and not abuse the rules to 'have the ball come out of the tackle to advantage' another part of me notes those other teams winning more games and occasionally premierships which kind of feels like cheating but moral victories don't pay for ladder positions or membership numbers etc. ...

Will there be people who will not buy merchandise or not go to games because of Ned ... sure .. but probably not $2,000,000 worth ... and we need the money.

Are their limits? Again sure ... but I don't think Ned's Lions is going to be the same knife to the reputational heart that being sponsored by the neo-nazis or current producers of technically legal schoolgirl pr0n would be.

Thrilled ... no.
Other, better, options ... apparently not
Microwaving membership ... no

I am assuming that we are not giving all our members a 'free' Neds account with $100 'bonus' credit as part of the deal ... that would be a bit too far for me ...

 

[Back2Back2Back]

Harking back to when we had a mild sponsorship with Sportsbet, there was some deal about setting up a new account, depositing $50 and getting a Lions jumper. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of incentive to give Nads more business from the Lions membership base.

I am amazed at how quickly this came about. Were we already in discussion with them at one point, was this something the AFL had up its sleeve that we had to pick up and change the club names on... a few weeks for a major sponsorship signing seems really really fast.

 

[tate13]

Not to mention this company has been fined and found guilty of illegal broadcasting with its ads on a number of instances. Really poor decision.

 

[POBT]

Not to mention this company has been fined and found guilty of illegal broadcasting with its ads on a number of instances. Really poor decision.

IIRC, it was fined once for multiple offences. I don't think it has been fined since.

It is also worth noting that, since then, it has been bought out by Ladbrokes, with the much talked about pornographer stepping down from the CEO role.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

If it was a multi National company who had r*ped the business out of Australian companies was our new sponsor ,
Would anyone here be unhappy, probably not even blink an eyelid.
So my point is how far do we go with morals .
If you took that stand there would hardly be any candidates left.
Personally not happy with the result but look at Coles Woolworths friggan bandits, but the general consumer will back them if they can get 4c / litre off as an example.
Money comes first , don't kid yourselves .

 

[Hollow Knight]

Also if it was a coal mining company no one would have batted an eyelid. Flash forward 30 years and the Gabba is under water.

 

[Jivlain]

Also if it was a coal mining company no one would have batted an eyelid. Flash forward 30 years and the Gabba is under water.

Good thing Kev is gone then, I can't imagine he'd like what that'd do to the pitch

 

[Tairy Greene]

I was on the fence about the sponsorship when I heard it was a gambling company, but after hearing it involves a pornographer?? Count me in, babay!!!

 

[Hollow Knight]

I was on the fence about the sponsorship when I heard it was a gambling company, but after hearing it involves a pornographer?? Count me in, babay!!!

 

[tate13]

IIRC, it was fined once for multiple offences. I don't think it has been fined since.

It is also worth noting that, since then, it has been bought out by Ladbrokes, with the much talked about pornographer stepping down from the CEO role.

I don’t think it matters if it hasn’t been fined since. The fact was it was fined for multiple offences. The fact it hasn’t been fined since doesn’t take away from the fact it committed those offences.
This is a terrible decision and lets down members and the community the club represents.

 

[Ceebee]

They did a 2019 season preview where they troll every other club and tip us for the flag.

https://www.neds.com.au/blog/2019/03/2019-afl-season-preview/

That’s pretty funny , made me laugh .

 

[marooned]

To all that are carrying on wanting to burn bras or effigies over a legal company sponsoring the club.Why don’t you dip your hand in your pocket for a couple of million and you can take up the space on the Guernsey with the ‘Moral Outrage Brigade’.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

I don’t think it matters if it hasn’t been fined since. The fact was it was fined for multiple offences. The fact it hasn’t been fined since doesn’t take away from the fact it committed those offences.
This is a terrible decision and lets down members and the community the club represents.

How many big businesses are squeaky clean though? We were sponsored by Vero, yet they aren't a bastion of good reputation - and many people suffer at the hands of stingy insurance companies. In fact, with most of our major sponsors over the years, I'm sure you could find questionable practices if you dig hard enough.

I'm no fan of the reach of gambling companies have made into sports, especially seeing odds flashed up before and during games. But the sponsorship market is a tough one in Queensland and going without one might see good people at the club lose their jobs. We take what we can get for the moment.

 

[Elixuh]

View attachment 637444

What’s brazzers?

 

[tate13]

How many big businesses are squeaky clean though? We were sponsored by Vero, yet they aren't a bastion of good reputation - and many people suffer at the hands of stingy insurance companies. In fact, with most of our major sponsors over the years, I'm sure you could find questionable practices if you dig hard enough.

I'm no fan of the reach of gambling companies have made into sports, especially seeing odds flashed up before and during games. But the sponsorship market is a tough one in Queensland and going without one might see good people at the club lose their jobs. We take what we can get for the moment.

Sorry, but a “take what we get” mentality is weak. While not all companies are “squeaky clean” - this one has a proven track record of dishonesty and dirty tactics.
You’re more than welcome to disagree - but for me I feel let down by the club. This is an easy option and shows a lack of care for the community. Dollars first.

 

[Hollow Knight]

What’s brazzers?

"...said Elixuh's wife when she got the credit card statement".

 

[brizrider]

Also if it was a coal mining company no one would have batted an eyelid. Flash forward 30 years and the Gabba is under water.

You're thinking of Lang Park

 

[briztoon]

To all that are carrying on wanting to burn bras or effigies over a legal company sponsoring the club.Why don’t you dip your hand in your pocket for a couple of million and you can take up the space on the Guernsey with the ‘Moral Outrage Brigade’.

You know, people, that is us fans btw, are allowed to be outraged, concerned, disappointed, upset or what ever we feel, at the choices our club makes. We don't all have to be apologists or cheer leaders for the clubs actions.

There is a significant proportion of society that really, really doesn't like gambling in any form. I don't know if it's a small or large vocal minority, or actually a majority, but it really doesn't matter.

People can express their opinions, and shouldn't have to cop abuse, be insulted or be denigrated for doing so. Especially on a public forum that has rules in place against such activity.


If you like gambling, good for you. Why do you feel the need to insult people who don't?

 

[CarterS]

Having a betting company’s logo blazoned on our guernsey is many a step past the pokies control. Despite it being immoral, the fact we derive sizeable amounts of revenue from those godawful machines isn’t openly advertised at every opportunity.

Matchdays will feature constant references to Neds. From player/coaching attire, stadium announcements & boards around the Gabba, the coaches box.... outside the venue etc. In addition to this, social media content will give exposure to gambling, along with the background screens for every interview each of our players undertake throughout the season (whilst wearing training jumpers, brought to us by NEDS).

Get ******, seriously. Get to ****.

Above all else, we as a club, in the direct eye of the public at the very least, ought to be setting a good example. A line has been crossed, and it’s as embarrassing as it is disappointing.

Weird position to take IMO. Better that it happens in secret?

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Sorry, but a “take what we get” mentality is weak. While not all companies are “squeaky clean” - this one has a proven track record of dishonesty and dirty tactics.
You’re more than welcome to disagree - but for me I feel let down by the club. This is an easy option and shows a lack of care for the community. Dollars first.

What if the lack of dollars meant we had to cut back in vital areas? Lose staff, resources. You can't ignore a sponsorship option, then go crying poor to the AFL (which we've had to do a hell of a lot).

I don't think it's an easy option at all. What's easy is to have the benefit of being choosy when you don't have to manage the bottom line. Particularly when we've had 2 major sponsors go under in the past 3 years. I'm a bit believers in Occam's Razor and in this case I think if there was a better option we'd be going with that.

Do I like it? Not particularly. Do I envy the task of finding a major sponsor in an environment where companies are re-assessing how good an investment sporting sponsorhsip is, in a state where our football code is at third-best for a team that hasn't made finals in 10 years? Not at all.

What's your alternative?