‘Would raise a few eyebrows’ – Leeds Exclusive: Pundit reacts to £250m Amazon report
Alex Bruce admits he has doubts about Leeds United following in Tottenham’s footsteps in search of a £250million stadium naming rights deal.
The former Leeds defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, admits such commercial agreements can be hugely beneficial but that clubs need to be careful not to upset the supporters.
According to the Daily Mail, Amazon are very keen on securing the naming rights for Spurs’ state-of-the-art ground as Daniel Levy seeks a £25m-a-year deal spread across 10 years.
Bruce admits that with Financial Fair Play rules in place, sponsorship deals can have a massive impact on a club’s spending power.
However, he insists that there should be serious consideration over the impact it could have, pointing to Mike Ashley’s rebranding of Newcastle United’s St James’ Park as a warning for chairman and owners.
Asked if he thought Leeds should consider doing a deal for Elland Road, Bruce told Football Insider: “Well, obviously the history of the club, I can understand why it would P*** the supporters off.
“There was a lot of talk about St James’ Park when it was renamed and to rename a big, historic stadium like Elland Road or a Highbury or a White Hart Lane – one of the old school (stadiums), these kind of clubs that have got real historic names – I can understand why it would raise a few eyebrows, that’s for sure.
“I don’t believe in that but you’ve got to respect the Financial Fair Play rulings now and if you can create an extra few quid for the benefit of the club, that obviously results in being able to buy players and improve the club as a whole, under the parameters of FFP, clubs need to explore every avenue.
“If you need to rename things, you need to be careful of what you rename and how you go about it but I can understand why chairmen and owners do it.”
Elland Road has been Leeds’ home since the club were founded back in 1919 and it stands as the 14th largest football stadium in England.
The club have owned the ground since 2017, current chairman Andrea Radrizzani buying it back from a private landlord after it was sold in 2004.
In other Leeds United news, Noel Whelan claims a senior mainstay will be the first name out the door this summer.