Old Mutual to sponsor four PSL teams
Four PSL teams will be 'Going for Green' from 2007 after a partnership with South Africa's largest financial services group was announced today. In terms of the deal, Old Mutual (SA) will become the teams' official financial solutions partner for the next three years.
The Four clubs are: Ajax Cape Town (Western Cape); Moroka Swallows (Gauteng); Maritzburg United (KZN); and Bloemfontein Celtic (Free State).
"This shows our commitment to the country's most popular sport - one that is passionately embraced by most of our customers," says Crispin Sonn, General Manager of Personal Financial Advice - Private Wealth Management at Old Mutual.
According to Sonn, the Old Mutual sponsorship is about partnering with the clubs and giving them access to the group's full suite of financial solutions.
The Clubs have committed to working with Old Mutual and its sister companies - Nedbank and Mutual & Federal - before the 2007/2008 PSL season kicks off to develop a suite of financial offerings that will appeal to the needs of the clubs themselves, their fans and supporters," enthuses Sonn.
"This is not just a sponsorship," says Tony Lankester, Old Mutual's Sponsorship Manager. "It's a business partnership that we believe is more sustainable than just coming along and putting our logo on the players' jerseys and around the pitch."
He adds that Old Mutual has chosen the four clubs because they represent the heart and soul of South African football.
Spread across the country, says Sonn, these four teams play with fire and determination, and their fans are equally passionate and committed.
"We are showing that the Premiership in South Africa is about more than just one or two popular teams - although they too have a vital role to play," Sonn points out.
"It's about the tens of thousan ds of people who turn out each season to shout for their chosen teams, a passion that usually starts from early childhood and gets carried through one's life."
According to Lankester, the financial services group's entry into the football arena is a natural part of the evolution of its sponsorship portfolio.
Khaya Ntozini, a general manager: distribution says: "Soccer is the sport with the biggest fan base in the country and a significant portion of our customers - present and future - are passionate about the game, the clubs and the players."
He adds: "By sponsoring this group of teams, we're sending a clear message of support to the heartland of South African Football that Old Mutual is behind them.
Lankester points out that the clubs were chosen using a variety of criteria - including geographical spread, quality of club management and the size of fan base, potential for growth and historical levels of support
He also explains that the sponsorship agreement will run for three years, from the start of the 2007/2008 PSL season (which commences on 1 July 2007) until the end of the 2009/2010 season.
"There is an option available to us to extend the agreement for a fourth year should we wish," concludes Lankester.
