Liverpool have received the full support of their multi-million pound shirt sponsor,
Standard Chartered, in the aftermath of the recent race-row controversies which engulfed the club.
Full backing: Standard Chartered are standing behind Liverpool despite the row over the Luis Suárez affair
By Chris Bascombe11:00PM GMT 10 Jan 20
Anti-racism organisations, especially Football Against Racism in Europe’s executive director,
Piara Power, claimed Liverpool’s reputation and ‘brand’ has been severely damaged in the light of the Luis Suárez affair.
However, the banking group which last year secured the largest commercial deal in Anfield history
- an estimated £80million - has reiterated its ongoing commitment to the club.
Standard Chartered officials are understood to have maintained daily contact with the Anfield hierarchy
following recent events, and held talks with the club after the Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi was abused by a supporter last Friday.
The bank says it is happy with how the Anfield board has responded and there is no suggestion their relationship has been compromised.
In a statement to Telegraph Sport, Standard Chartered said: “Liverpool FC has recently reiterated its resolute stance against racism.
“Standard Chartered is a multicultural, multinational organisation and we fully support and share the club’s efforts to combat racism
and any sort of discrimination. We remain very happy with our sponsorship of the club.”
Such remarks come at an especially sensitive time as Liverpool pursue more global commercial partners.
The club’s American owners are actively searching for a stadium sponsor to build their new £300million arena on Stanley Park,
and any suggestion lucrative backers will be dissuaded in the light of recent events would cause untold damage.
Liverpool require a minimum of £150million in outside investment before they can press ahead with their relocation
from their current Anfield site, so their strong reiteration of their anti-racism stance in recent days has been a necessity.
Both managing director, Ian Ayre, and Kenny Dalglish, whose charismatic presence has been used to attract investors
into the club in the past, both delivered a passionate defence of the club over the last 48 hours.
The supportive stance of Standard Chartered is a welcome reassurance.
The bank is in its second year of an estimated £20million-a-year shirt deal with the Merseyside club, which runs until 2014.
It will be noted that the bank’s most lucrative market is in Africa, Asia and across the Middle East,
where sensitivities about any racial controversy could cause most embarrassment for Liverpool and their chief sponsor if there was a strong reaction.
The Standard Chartered position would suggest, as Liverpool have argued throughout,
that beyond the jurisdiction of the English FA the case against Suárez is not perceived
to be as cut and dried as many in this country have presumed.
The club is confident global investors will not take as dim a view of the club’s reaction as has been claimed.
Liverpool’s swift response to the latest race row involving Adeyemi has received praise from his club, Oldham Athletic.
“The chairman and directors of Oldham Athletic Football Club would like to thank Liverpool Football Club
and officers of the Merseyside Police for their concerns and painstaking efforts in investigating the
circumstances surrounding the incident involving Tom Adeyemi,” read a statement.
“The club and player have been notified of every detail during the progress of the investigation.
“The professional standards applied throughout have been praiseworthy.
“The club would also like to thank the numerous fans from Liverpool and Oldham,
and also those from around the country who have sent letters of support to Tom.
“This type of incident is contained within a minority and should not deflect from
a superb match that was enjoyed by both sets of club officials and fans.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/9005821/Liverpool-backed-by-Standard-Chartered-despite-Luis-Suarez-row.html
