Clydesdale Bank to sponsor SPL

Clydesdale Bank has been announced as the new sponsor of Scottish premier football in a deal worth up to £8 million.

At a meeting of the Scottish Premier League Clubs at Glasgow's Hampden Park Stadium today (19 October), Clydesdale Bank's proposal was unanimously approved by the 12 SPL Clubs.

Clydesdale Bank's sponsorship will commence in July 2007 and represents a total investment of some £8 million over four years in the SPL alone. Working in partnership with the SPL, Clydesdale Bank will make an additional investment to maximise the value of this sponsorship for staff, customers and the communities in which it operates.

"The deal was agreed following strong competition from a number of blue-chip companies over the past six months.

Steve Reid, Clydesdale Bank's General Manager of Retail & Wealth Management, said: "This is a phenomenal opportunity for Clydesdale Bank to show our support for Scotland's national game.More people watch SPL football per head of population than any other nation in Europe.

"Taking the Clydesdale Bank name into every home in the country, our sponsorship of the SPL is all about investing in our business, our people, our customers, and in Scotland."



Lex Gold, Chairman of the SPL, added: "I am pleased to announce that we have agreed a new four year sponsorship deal with Clydesdale Bank, starting in July 2007.

"Interest in our sponsorship has been reassuringly keen and we are delighted to have agreed a new record deal with Clydesdale Bank, a blue-chip company."We look forward to working closely with Steve Reid, General Manager of Retail and Wealth Management, and his colleagues at Clydesdale Bank to make this work for all concerned."Following closely on the recent record breaking TV deal with Setanta, this highest ever sponsorship deal in Scottish football provides a sound platform for our clubs for the next four years."



NotesFollowing nine successful Seasons with Bank of Scotland, the deal with Clydesdale Bank will commence in season 2007/08 for four years.Over 27 million people have attended SPL matches since 1998.Match attendances continues to grow with a 3.4% growth at the gates between 04/05 and 05/06 seasons.It is an attractive and competitive league - last season (2005/06), in the 228 games a total of 641 goals were scored - an average of 2.81 goals per match (up from 2.61 in 04/05).Independent evaluation of TV coverage alone for SPL matches in 2005/06 was £7.1 million based on 38 live games being broadcast. With 60 live games now each season, this figure is expected to be significantly higher.

Clydesdale BankClydesdale Bank was established in 1838 in Glasgow and has a proud history of innovation and support for Scottish industry and communities.

With 4,500 staff and over 150 retail branches, Clydesdale Bank is one of Scotland's largest banks. Clydesdale Bank became a part of the National Australia Bank Group in 1987.This sponsorship builds on Clydesdale Bank's strong support for Scottish sport which includes backing the Scottish Commonwealth Games team in 2006, 2008, 2010 and supporting the bid to bring the Games to Glasgow in 2014.