Sheffield Wednesday's hospital shirt deal
SHEFFIELD Wednesday have turned their backs on a lucrative shirt sponsorship deal - choosing instead to promote the city's Children's Hospital charity for free.
The two-year partnership with the Children's Hospital Charity comes into force from next season at the expense of a traditional commercial deal which could have been worth more than 500,000.
The move has come from the club's new young chairman Lee Strafford - and is the most eye-catching initiative yet in a series of changes brought in since he took charge at the beginning of the year.
Wednesday will be the only club in the Championship with such a link up, and joins a handful of other teams with charity arrangements such as Aston Villa and Barcelona.
The deal with the Owls' long-term sponsor PlusNet is due to run out this summer and the club is understood to have had a substantial six figure offer from another company on the table.
But Mr Strafford believes the Children's Hospital tie-up will make a major statement about the club's determination to strengthen links with both the community and the club's traditional fan base.
He said: "We are proud to say loud and clear that Sheffield Wednesday want to break the current mould by getting away from the perception that football is just about money.
"Certainly a commercial shirt sponsorship can be very lucrative. However we feel that there is much more value in supporting an organisation within our city that provides a vital service to people in need, not just to those in our region but to children across the country.
"It is vital that we, as a celebrated football club with a strong heritage, play a responsible role in the community which surrounds us."
The club expect to forge close links with the Children's Hospital and its charity in a variety of ways and it is hoped the partnership will go beyond the initial two-year agreement.
Wednesday hope the 2009/10 season will represent a fresh start after a troubled last decade, with substantial new funding expected for the club by the end of March.
Mr Strafford said: "We're absolutely delighted that this partnership will not only help to raise awareness of what is being achieved in the city, but also represents an exciting opportunity to develop new community initiatives across Sheffield."
Children's Hospital chief executive Chris Sharratt said he had been surprised and delighted by Wednesday's approach.
He said: "This sponsorship represents an outstanding offer of support by Sheffield Wednesday.
"To have our name across the shirt will raise awareness of our hospital across the country. It also gives us a fantastic opportunity to work together with the club to use the pull of football to introduce exciting health initiatives with children."
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