MTA sponsorship of Sheffield Utd to cost £350,000

R Calleja

Aug 19th 2008, 22:12

I'd like to know why Sheff Utd were chosen? The deal came about through Carley Barnes, who is the same agent of J Haber and M Mifsud, who has Maltese connections obviously. This tells me that she managed to sell Sheff Utd to the MTA. The money could have been been better spent on a Premiership club, where the exposure through TV etc. would have been much bigger than an average Championship club. Someone didn't do their homework right ... considering the tight strings the MTA has with its budget.

C Chircop

Aug 13th 2008, 10:29

£350,000 is the the lowest going rate for sponsorships of this sort.

Perhaps, if MTA went for West Bromwich Albion (who are currently considering a new sponsor), it would have been a greater coup in terms of club pedigree and catchment area. However, it would have cost them much more.

Nonetheless, Sheffield United are quite a reknowned club, and MTA got a very good deal indeed.


By the way, that is Matthew Kilgallon on the right.

M Hart

Aug 13th 2008, 10:07

Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest clubs in the UK, they were founded in 1867, Sheffield United were founded in 1889. Still quite a history, again good deal MTA - now I hope you mantain the website and update it regularly!

M Hart

Aug 13th 2008, 10:00

Being from Sheffield and a huge Sheffield Wednesday fan, my husband wasn't too happy about this deal because of the rivarly there is between the two clubs. But I think at the end of the day MTA got some real value for their money as the Championship league has a lot of followers in the UK. Dear mr Steve Calleja, don't talk about stuff you know nothing about - an average Sheffield Wednesday match attracts around 28,000 people to the stadium and a lot more on TV - don't forget that these matches are also shown on Sky.

Having said that I hope MTA pushes Airmalta to reintroduce more flights to Manchester - since it has reduced the Winter flights to only 3 a week, and these are always fully booked by people who have purchased their tickets some six months before, leaving people from Malta paying really high prices because they don't book that far in advance.

philip pace

Aug 13th 2008, 08:25

Welcome to the circus,
From my modest point of view this is a better way of advertising than the flops that were sanctioned and approved by the most weak Minister of Tourism Dr.Francis Zammit Dimech, that Malta had since the 1960s.
How right Dr.Gonzi was to remove him from this ministry!
We all remember the laughable THIS IS MALTA on the CNN about 4 years ago which was an exercise of illogical logistics.
And we all remember the farcical and downright meaningless BRAND MALTA.
By the way is that arrogant foreigner (Danish?)who dreamt up of the idea still being paid from our taxes?
Now regarding this sponsorship, my only worry is it would turn out to be fruitless as it was in the case when AirMalta sponsored AC MESSINA, when the Sicilian team played in Italy's serie A, two seasons ago.
Therefore from what happened MTA and the previous Minister failed in three different attempts to draw tourists from all over the world.
Before anyone, including myself can safely and rationally conclude if this was good business or not, we have to wait another year to see if this was money well spent.
Common sense prevails..
Bananas harvest?

ian borg

Aug 13th 2008, 07:18

This sounds good,but i think normal advertising on tubes and buses in UK would have been money better spent.By the way are there flights from sheffield wherebouts to Malta?

ALBERT FENECH

Aug 13th 2008, 06:58

Despite the reservations of all the doubters, the MTA did well to invest in English football, currently leading the world ratings in viewership, interest and enthusiasm - even though Sheffield United are only in the Championship (First Division). However, they are one of the oldest football clubs in the world and were recently a Premiership side. What I find doubtful is whether the MTA is telling the whole truth. For anybody who knows their football onions, 350 thousand sterling is fragments of peanuts. A Premier club in Malta (like Valletta, Sliema Wanderers or Birkirkara) would require that kind of sponsorship to even consider maybe winning the Maltese Championship. In England that sum would not even obtain the sponsorship of a non-League club. So - is the MTA telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.....?

Anthony A. Mifsud

Aug 13th 2008, 05:42

@ to all,
it is easy to crititsize the MTA, you are all missing the spin from this Add!
The running adds on the pitch, and the gear showing Visitmalta.com, it's good but the best inpact is the running adds, AirMalta.com
Prosit to who ever came up with this idea.
Next yeay we should go to a bigger team, MUFC? LPFC? who knows.
Tony

S. Xuereb

Aug 13th 2008, 00:23

@ Edward Abela
The sponsorship is actually for two seasons not one.

Sheffield United is actually the oldest football club in the world.

Welldone MTA. Keep it up.

Pauline Barbara

Aug 12th 2008, 23:38

@ Steve Calleja - You ask who watches Sheffield Utd, I would say quiet a few people as the Championship is widely followed in England, and plenty of games are shown live on TV. You also have the Carling Cup and FA Cup Matches. TBH I'm astounded they got the deal for £350,000 even if Sheffield are just a Championship side.

Yes it would have been great to see our countrys' name blazoned over the shirts of i.e. Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Milan etc.... but we would then be talking about an £8-10million sponsorship deal not a couple of thousand so get real.

This beats the Smart campaign, which literally made me cringe it was so unbelievably corny - I think the reason taxpayers needed to know how much money was spent is because so much money was needlessly spent in the past, this time however its money well spent - just don't expect any Sheffield Wednesday fans to visit the island though!!!!!!!!

Christine Richards

Aug 12th 2008, 23:25

A pat on the back all round. Not only is this a great idea but its come at a very very good price too.

wally vella-zarb

Aug 12th 2008, 23:13

I do not think that this is 'political' at all. People who like football (or as it is increasingly being called in England, 'chavball') will no doubt be thrilled to bits.

People like me who do not share the same passion for this sport, preferring other, more elegant, less corrupt, pursuits will be, at best, indifferent. At worst one would ask "how much does the average football hooligan spend - other than on beer - should he decide to visit?

Mark Farrugia

Aug 12th 2008, 22:55

@Steve Calleja

You should get your facts straight before passing such unfounded comments. Thanks to that newfangled contraption called TELEVISION, tens of millions of people in the UK get to see the malta logo on the Blades shirts week in week out either through championship roundup programmes or broadcast live games. And don't diss Sheffield either. Its the fourth largest city in the UK with more than half a million people. As for having a higher profile club on board, Of course its possible - for two or three million quid starters maybe! Good one MTA. Anyone who has their heads on their shoulders knows that this is a fantastic deal.

Liam Kelly

Aug 12th 2008, 22:35

Yet another waste of money which could and should be spent improving public and tourism infrastructure back in Malta.

350,000 for what exactly? a barely visible sticker on the strip of a poor, poor 2nd division team.

The impact of football sponsorship is severely questionable; it is only really viable if the industry which is advertising is related to football, i.e. beverages, betting. Do the MTA really think that people are going to football matches to look for holiday destinations? In the same breath, lets ask them, did they really think this deal through? Opportunity/cost? doubt it!

emilio calleja

Aug 12th 2008, 21:59

if the amount stated is correct, then the mta deserves a pat on the back. after all the uk papers quoting the sum to run into millions of pounds, it took me by surprise to read that it only cost Lm175-200 grand(mainly thanks to the weak sterling). the championship(the first division after the premier league) has a strong following in england for many reasons including that the premier league is way too expensive to watch week in week out for many families. many die hard fans will turn to the championship for their weekly dose of football.

with a global recession looming, many people in england will not renew their sky or setanta premier league subscription and choose to subscribe to the championship offering.

what is needed now is for the weak pound to strengthen against the euro and in turn this will guarantee an influx in the number of northerners visiting malta.

to the labour party: stop this maltese political game of always trying to find something wrong with what the governing party does.

A BARGAIN IN DEED.

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 12th 2008, 21:47

The critiscm levelled was at them refusing to give any details. Seeing that we are taxpayers, and seeing that most taxpayers are stingy when the dockyard workers are concerned, I think that asking about the sum spent is fair.

As for Mta...were they responsible for the smart malta flop a couple of years bacK/

Charles J Buttigieg

Aug 12th 2008, 21:14

MTA is a professional organisation and they know what they are doing. Although I spent more than 30 years in the industry I still consider myself ill equipped to pass any judgement on the size of the sponsorship but I would like to assume that the cost is money well invested. Constructive criticism is positive and negative criticism motivated by political bias is stupid.

Former General Manager
Malta Air charter.

Yvo Hesselman

Aug 12th 2008, 20:55

WOW! This is great. Well done to MTA.

M. Debono

Aug 12th 2008, 20:08

Commercial agreements should never be exposed to the public, whether the deal was lucrative or not. The price paid for this sponsorship, in my pov, is a shame on Sheffield United FC that settled for such less, when they know that MTA was in a need of "a big presence" in UK to revive again the big slump we have had this summer.

Any repurcussions? I guess yes .. next time, MTA will try to do something similar, they will face "hard time" to conclude on deals .... coz one of the political parties will question the "deal and its money spent left, right and centre!!" from taxpayers money.

Suggest that next time, the press release is worded cautiously, without using "hyped" words and indirectly excite "discussions" and political mileage over everything that happens in Malta.

Nevertheless, well done for MTA that managed to drive an excellent bargain within our top tourist market. Keep it up! It shows, we have a fresh thinking head at the helm of the authority!

Steve Calleja

Aug 12th 2008, 19:56

This would have been a good deal if the team concerned had a higher profile and more exposure on the media. But whoever watches Sheffield United except some of the people at Sheffield?

Alex Spiteri

Aug 12th 2008, 19:53

I wonder what's the objctive of such sponsorship. and i also wonder if other new tourist successfull countries like cyprus, croatia and serbia ever consider such poor idea as part of their marketing mix.

i'm quite intrested in the sports marketing subject, and i've never seen a tourism board sponsor a club in return of shirt sponsorships.

i guess with those kind of money the MTA would have invested in events that offers international exposure, that are gaining result lately.

all in all, its surely a poor idea!

Edward Abela

Aug 12th 2008, 19:52

Wow. I commented positively last week, when the deal was announced, assuming that the figure did, in fact, run into millions. 350 grand Sterling for a year's sponsorship of a Championship club? That's chickenfeed! Very well done Mario Demarco, MTA and all concerned.

Richard G Scrowston

Aug 12th 2008, 19:51

Sirs,

I lived in Sheffield during the 70's and early part of the 80's. I still have extremely strong connections with the city of Sheffield (my two grown-up daughters continue to live there).

My opinion (for what it is worth), is that this is a master stroke for the Malta Tourism Authority. The 350,000 UK Sterling paid by the MTA in sponsorship will undoubtedly reap a good return.

Yes, the Blades will do well for Malta Tourism. Congratulations to whoever at MTA came up with the original idea.

Richard Scrowston.

Edwin Bartolo

Aug 12th 2008, 19:49

It's not not bad it's CHEAP! Do anyone knows how much it cost to get logos on football shirts in England? Very good MTA keep it up

Karl Abela

Aug 12th 2008, 19:29

If this figure is true than this must be the best 191,000 Maltese Lira ever spent by the MTA. Good work lads!!

Andy Ritchell

Aug 12th 2008, 19:23

Seeing all the details given over the weekend, and that Sheffield United have shown a firm interest in investing in Malta via the soccer school and also the extensive network that the owner family has, this is an excellent deal for both parties not just MTA ... Good luck Sheffield and well done Malta Tourism.

Malcolm Seychell

Aug 12th 2008, 19:22

Very good value for money.

Prosit

P Borg

Aug 12th 2008, 19:09

Was this deal signed before or after Justin Harber was purchased by this club?

Maurice Saliba

Aug 12th 2008, 19:03

this is a very good deal indeed ... i wonder why MTA needed to keep the secrecy about the sponsorship ... even if it turns out to be a very good deal.

Guzeppi Grech

Aug 12th 2008, 18:35

Actually that's quite cheap. I'm would be surprised if "blades" fans are happy with the deal. Th club management gave the impression it was a huge sponsorship.

In my opinion it's worth it for MTA. So I will venture a "well done".

Jeremy J Camilleri

Aug 12th 2008, 18:27

Fair enough.....

I think MTA got a good deal after all..Prosit