‘What a clever move’ – Aston Villa will use loophole to agree ground-breaking deal
Aston Villa are set to utilise a clever loophole in order to agree a major deal which could earn the club millions.
Last month, Villa made a last-minute move to avoid falling foul of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR)
However, the Midlands giants are also in hot water with UEFA, and could be forced to sell some of their stars this summer to be able to register players.
The hierarchy at Villa Park are exploring different ways to raise funds, and one of the options they could choose is selling the naming rights of their ground.
Aston Villa’s former chief Keith Wyness– who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that his former side could exploit a clever loophole to partner with a company, and maintain the historic nature of their stadium.
‘Aston Villa to sell secondary-level sponsorship’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness revealed that rather than selling the full naming rights of their ground, Aston Villa could opt for a secondary-level sponsorship.
Villa Park has been standing since 1897 and has played host to 55 separate FA Cup semi-finals over the years.
Wyness explained that a company could add its name onto the end of Villa Park, so it doesn’t lose its historical value.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s very difficult, obviously, with places like Old Trafford and Villa Park, which have become synonymous. Villa Park is a traditional old ground. We all remember FA Cup Semi-finals being played at Villa Park.
“It’s one of the oldest grounds in the whole of the football league, so historically, that name is ingrained in football tradition. It’s very hard for a sponsor to come in and expect it to be called ‘XX Bowl’ or ‘XX Stadium’.
“I think they have got a better chance, if they were clever, to name it something like ‘Villa Park brought to you by XX’, and while it would be a secondary level sponsorship, it would be a nod to the historical significance of Villa Park.
“I’ll leave that to the marketing guys to work out a formula, but I think you can understand the point I’m making. Something along those lines that would make it more acceptable to the fans and give a better chance of the whole football world adopting their name.
“At Villa Park, you’ve got hundreds of years of tradition to get over and that’s a big hurdle. So you’ve got to be cute and you’ve got to be clever about the way you activate that sponsorship. That way you’ll get respect and you’ll be seen as a good thinking, thoughtful brand, rather than just clumsy, jumping in and trying to crowbar your name into something that’s a historical asset.”
‘Aston Villa to avoid financial breach’
Meanwhile, Aston Villa could reportedly lose up to £150million and still avoid a further financial breach after their Uefa sanctions have been revealed.
Uefa confirmed earlier this month Villa have been fined £9.5million, with the potential of a further £12.9million penalty if they fail to comply in a three-year period.
Finance expert Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Villa might only pay £5million following their financial breach.
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