‘Everton’s £10m naming rights deal could take new twist’ – Keith Wyness
Everton have taken the next step in their stadium move by agreeing a lucrative stadium naming rights deal with law firm Hill Dickinson.
The Toffees announced the agreement last week (16 May), insisting the “transformational partnership represents one of the largest stadium naming rights deals in Europe”.
Hill Dickinson, founded in Liverpool in 1810, have 11 offices across the UK, Europe and Asia.
According to The Telegraph (16 May), the naming rights deal is worth around £10million a year and comparable to Allianz’ sponsorship of rugby’s Twickenham Stadium.
Everton‘s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has suggested a new twist on Merseyside.
Wyness reacts to Everton naming rights deal
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness claimed it is hard to see Hill Dickinson’s marketing budget stretching to £10million per year.
However, the former Everton chief claimed the club could be taking part-payment in legal representation – with litigation across the Premier League now rife.
When asked for his reaction to the deal, Wyness told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I was very surprised.
“We appointed Elevate, a global agency, to go through all of this – and we’ve ended up with a local law firm.
“They do have offices overseas, but they’re not quite in the magic circle of law firms.
“There is a strong Everton connection here. It’s a long thread of Everton history.
“£10million per year has been flying around. I looked at the accounts of Hill Dickinson and compared them with a law firm I know locally.
“This firm only had a hospitality and marketing budget of around £250,000. I don’t know how Hill Dickinson, being so close in turnover, can stretch that to £10million a year.
| Ranking | Stadium | Capacity |
| 1 | Old Trafford (Man United) | 74,197 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Tottenham) | 62,850 |
| 3 | London Stadium (West Ham) | 62,500 |
| 4 | Anfield (Liverpool) | 61,276 |
| 5 | Emirates Stadium (Arsenal) | 60,704 |
| 6 | Etihad Stadium (Man City) | 52,900 |
| 7 | Hill Dickinson Stadium – when open (Everton) | 52,888 |
“That leads me to a guess, and this is just my opinion. Everton may have taken part-payment in terms of legal fees, with litigation becoming so important in the Premier League. It could be as good as cash.
“You’re almost guaranteed to have £10-15million in legal fees every year.
“The worry is whether Hill Dickinson would be the right lawyers in this situation. When I looked on their website, they didn’t have a sports practice as such.
“The positive is that it’s a local company and a local thread of history.”
Calvert-Lewin contract latest from Everton
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (20 May) that Everton are doing “everything they can” to agree a suitable new contract with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The club still have hope they can persuade Calvert-Lewin to agree a new deal and talks are ongoing with the England international.
His current deal is set to expire at the end of June alongside several other top Toffees stars – with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ashley Young already confirmed to be leaving.
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