News 4/1: Bluetongue Brewery to sponsor the Knights

[jamesgould]

A few articles on this today. Great news for the Knights! First of all, this speculation was in the Sydney Morning Herald:

Singo tipped as main Knights sponsor
By Greg Wendt
January 4, 2006

THE Newcastle Knights will today announce the largest single sponsorship deal in the club's history, said to involve advertising man John Singleton and home-grown brewery Bluetongue.

Singleton was the driving force behind the unsuccessful bid to secure an NRL franchise for the Central Coast and Gosford Stadium in 2004. He also has a 60 per cent share in the Newcastle advertising outfit Peach through his company STW Communications Group.

The Knights, who have formed an alliance with the giant Newcastle Wests Leagues Club, issued a media alert yesterday signalling a major sponsorship announcement. Knights chief executive officer Ken Conway said the sponsorship deal would "go a long way to securing the club's financial future".

He added: "This contract is the largest single sponsorship deal [for the Knights]."

Knights officials were tight-lipped about the exact details of the sponsorship but the Herald understands it involves Singleton and the Bluetongue brewery. The lucrative five-year deal will be in addition to the Knights' naming sponsor for 2006, Coal & Allied.

Believed to be worth "many millions of dollars", the sponsorship will guarantee the Knights major backing from companies with a strong Hunter identity.

Singleton would not comment any further on the proposed deal.

From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/singo-tipped-as-main-knights-sponsor/2006/01/03/1136050446242.html

Then the official announcement from the Knights:

Knights Tap into Local Beer Brand
Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - Newcastle Knights

Newcastle company Bluetongue Brewery has joined the Coal & Allied Newcastle Knights as their official beer supplier and a major sponsor until the end of 2010.

This does not affect the naming rights of Coal & Allied.

The deal, worth in excess of 4 million dollars over the next five years has been hailed as the largest single sponsorship agreement in the history of the Newcastle Knights.

Merchant Bank Carnegie Wylie, along with John Singleton have joined with Bluetongue in a 50% partnership.

Speaking today, Knights CEO Ken Conway said the sponsorship represented another important step forward in the financial security of the club.

“We look forward to helping Bluetongue Brewery grow and flourish in the Hunter Region and are proud that this deal will bring significant employment opportunities in this traditional Hunter industry,†he said.

“In all sponsorship ventures the Knights aim to assist in our region’s economic growth by creating leveraging opportunities for Hunter companies. Our partnership with Bluetongue achieves this goalâ€

Also speaking today, John Singleton said the lucrative sponsorship agreement will greatly benefit other local organisations as well as the Newcastle community at large.

“The sponsorship is expected to create fifty direct jobs and an estimated total flow on of three hundred jobs over the next five years,†he said

“This deal will also see the instillation of tap lines to the entire ground providing Knights fans with quality Draught beer, preferred by Novocastriansâ€

“As well as providing the Bluetongue Premium range, mainstream beers including mid strength and light will also be on offerâ€

“These beers, which will carry Knights branding, will be available as packaged and draught product throughout the Hunter and Northern NSW.â€

From: http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/absolutenm/templates/mediareleases.asp?articleid=689&zoneid=1

And then a report from Foxsports:

Singo pours cash into Knights
January 4, 2006

STRUGGLING NRL club the Newcastle Knights have announced a major new sponsorship deal worth around $4 million over five years.

Advertising guru John Singleton and merchant bank Carnegie Wylie have combined with local brewery Bluetongue to become a major club sponsor until 2010.

The sponsorship money will count as operating revenue allowing the club to spend it on supporting the football team, Knights chief executive Ken Conway said today.

"It is a deal that sees a number of significant advantages to the club," Conway said.

"Financially, what it will allow us to do is continue beefing up our support network for our players and make sure we meet all our commitments."

Under the terms of the deal, Bluetongue also becomes the club's beer partner.

Singleton said the brewery would install beer tap lines at Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium, creating employment for the local community.

"The sponsorship is expected to create 50 direct jobs and an estimated total flow-on of 300 jobs over the next five years," Singleton said.

The deal represents the culmination of a major financial turnaround for the Knights.

Less than a month ago the club announced a $1 million-a-year commercial partnership with local leagues club Wests that consolidated its future only six months after it had been on the brink of collapse.
Better than expected gate receipts in the 2005 season combined with a new sponsorship deal with local mining company Coal & Allied had stopped the Knights from going under earlier in the year.

Conway said the recent deals would allow the Knights to not only draw a line under the financial woes that have historically dogged the club, but to finally move forward.

"Being in a position where we now have a backstop that can support us up to towards $1 million if we get into financial strife comes as a great relief," Conway said.

The knockabout Singleton was enthusiastic about the marriage between Newcastle Knights and the local brewery.

"I've got a feeling it's going to be a real good partnership. I love rugby league, I love beer," he said.

"It's often discussed as a vulgar attitude to life but I think if you take beer and rugby league out of life there's nothing left."

The financial future could be even rosier for Newcastle as Conway hinted at another major sponsorship deal on the horizon, saying there were negotiations currently underway.

From: http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17727347-23214,00.html

Another sponsorship on the cards! Conway is doing a super job of getting the dollars coming in!