New sponsors welcomed to Wolves
Tuesday 31st March 2009, 11:54AM BST.
Can’t see video? Update Adobe Flash Player
Video may take a moment to load. Return to Video Index
Wolves are celebrating a stunning commercial triumph by landing a seven-figure deal with a major online betting company for shirt sponsorship.
The promotion-chasing club are linking up with Sportingbet.com in June with the biggest sponsorship deal in the club’s history, worth more than £1million over the next two seasons.
The agreement, which will be worth even more to the Championship leaders if they go on to secure Premier League football next season, flies in the face of football’s desperate struggle to land sponsors in the current economic climate.
It ends the club’s five-year shirt sponsorship by consultancy firm Chaucer, although they will remain commercially involved at Molineux where the company’s founder and chief executive Bob Laslett retains a seat on the board.
But the new agreement with the multi-national betting company is being hailed as another coup for Wolves, to follow their hat-trick of successes at the weekend’s Football League awards.
They were named Family Club of the Year to supplement Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s two awards for Championship Player of the Year and Goal of the Year.
The deal was announced at Molineux.
Chief executive Jez Moxey said: “We are delighted to have secured a partner with a global presence and a leader in online gaming.
“The Sportingbet.com team are passionate about football, which makes them the perfect fit for our club and for our loyal fans.”
Sportingbet.com turned their back on Premier League clubs to back the Championship leaders.
Their chief executive Andy McIver said: “We’re delighted to be associated with such a well known and successful club.
“We share a common heritage of passion, skill and teamwork. I believe that this is the basis of a great partnership. Football is the bedrock of our business and we look forward to working closely together.”
Football dominates Sportingbet.com’s business taking 42million bets on the game – 65% of the group’s betting revenue – each year.
As well sponsoring the new home and away shirts, it will also become the club’s official betting partner and sponsor Wolves’ official club website.
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Cracking news.
Report abuse
Nice one.
Our premiership shirt will look nice.
Better than Dorito’s tho eh?
Report abuse
Bit disappointed we’re being associated with a gambling firm. Not totally against gambling but think its a little bit ironic we’ve won best family club.
Theres nothing prestigous about the company. Best sponsor we had was goodyear. Still i suppose its better than having none!
Report abuse
Who is it again that sponsors Sandwell Town these days???? Oh that’s right nobody!!!!
Report abuse
As a confirmed NON gambler my delight at The Wolves TAKING money from a bookie has me doing handsprings (metaphorically speaking).
Up The Wolves
Report abuse
Another Coup as we strive to bring the good days back to the Mol.Things just seem to be getting better and better(no pun intended).
Report abuse
it’s a funny whole world, sandwell town have been looking for one since the end of last season, at least, and still haven’t got one. We have been looking a couple of weeks or so and got a giant.
Report abuse
lets hope its cash upfront – as im not sure online gambling is all that stable when you consider the potential political changes ahead.
Report abuse
Great News, and even better when we get, dare I say it, promoted !!!
Report abuse
This sponsorship deal gives the gambling inducstry a semblance of respectibility it does not deserve. Wolves should not have anything to do with this industry. It encourages greed, a something for nothing culture, and abject misery for the saddoes who spend the houskeeping money on a ‘cert’. The industry is riddled with corruption and in my opinion it tarnishes the football club.
I do not want teenage supporters being influenced by the club to think gambling is ok.
I am very disappointed with this. Moxey/Morgan partnership has gone down in my opinion. Its a million we should be doing without.
Report abuse
great news to boost the clubs funds and help strengthen the whole molineux set up..
great work from all involved behind the scenes at molineux..well done
Report abuse
Well done Jez but get your hair cut
Report abuse
Ha ha we have two sponsor’s, cant think of anyone who might need to borrow one!!!
Report abuse
Haircut and hit the gym JEZ!
Report abuse
sandwell town are lining up a sonsership deal with wrigleys !:)
Quite ironic really both stuck to the bottom of the table ;)
up the wolves !
Report abuse
Moxey’s gamble has paid off :)
Report abuse
Re: 4, 7, and 17
Why do you feel it necessary to mention the Albion with regards to every story about your own club?
Are you obsessed?
Are Albion the first thing that comes to mind when a story comes out about your own club?
It appears to me that you’re more concerned about hating the Albion than you are supporting your own club !!
Get a life !!!
Report abuse
I have to agree with E11 Wolf. Happy for the money but would be willing to do without (given we should get another sponsor – although no guarantee). Seeing the young kids that have been an important part of the award for Best Family Club effectively advertising an online gambling firm is extremely poor, in my opinion. I know other sides have done that and in the past, I’ve never given much thought to the fact that fans are advertising tyres, a silly American crisp-type product, paints and inks or some kind of consulting business. And I can certainly understand some people having no problem with taking a nice bit of dosh and fair enough. But I’ll stick to retro shirts myself for the next couple of seasons.
Report abuse
Re:7
‘We’ve been looking for a couple of weeks and have got a giant?’
Am I the only person who’s never heard of them then?
Report abuse
This is fantastic news!!! I Just hope now we get a DECENT home srip to put the logo on!!! For the last few years the home strips have been horrible! Lets get rid of the ”50p” badge and have a more ‘TRADITIONAL’ strip like the one we won the League cup in back in 1981,just GOLD and BLACK(no white!) with propper colars such as the new England strip and NOT baggy either-Chelseas strip looks a well smart design.And lets get rid of LE COQ-who wears their sportswear?????-KNOWONE!!!-ADIDAS with black strips down the arm or UMBRO will be fantastic on our home strip for the Premier League next season!!! AND BRING BACK THE LIQUIDATOR Tune for home matches-Chealsea have pinched it off us!!!
Report abuse
does it really matter who the sponsor is? as long as the money is right take it!! i like a flutter myself,but it aint going to encourage me to bet online just because they sponsor my team.!!!
Report abuse
I know the Vile are in a different financial league to us but you have to be impressed with their deal with Acorns Children’s hospice – which is now going to be extended for a second season. Proceeds have paid for 240 days of hospice care since 2006, which has accelerated since the shirts were launched last July.
Having been impressed with being the recipient of a Family Club of the year award and growing in reputation for community work, I can’t help but feel this is just pure greed. Is £1m over a couple of years really that important (especially as we’d probably get someone else even if it was for less)
Report abuse
Great News
No’10 (E 11 Wolf) … Dangerous territory you tread there ..ie where do you draw the line?
Alcohol Sponsors, ‘Junk Food Sponsors’ Major Financial institutions who have caused ordinary families untold misery over the last 12 months and so on and so on
Whilst I sympathise with some of your concerns, its difficult to now where to draw the line in terms of moral obligation vs commercial neccessity
Report abuse
Surely we would have been better waiting until we get promoted(fingers crossed) as a better deal will be on the table. Seems a bit strange this.
Report abuse
Great to get the money but im not a fan of gambaling websites myself!!! I Just hope we get a DECENT-TRADITIONAL home strip for next season,one just GOLD and BLACK(no white),get rid of the ”50p” badge(weve had it 10years!) and lets have a strip like the one we won the League Cup in back in 81 or the Sherpa Van Trophy in 89 with a big Wolves head.And also lets have a propper fitting strip-NOT BAGGY,with smart collars-like the new England strip or Chelseas home strip which looks well designed.And while were on about sponsers lets get rid of LE COQ-who wears it?????-NO-ONE! A Smart shirt with either ADIDAS(with their strips down the arm) or UMBRO will look great and also trendy.And finally BRING BACK THE LIQUIDATOR tune for home matches-were going to need all the help we can get for home matches in the Premier League next season!!!(and Chelsea have nicked it off us!)
Report abuse
re 17: i hardly ever mention the albion but when there is a moment to take the mick then i must admit i rarely do miss the opportunity, and has to not supporting my club every home game and 8 away games says it all really.
Report abuse
Richie (20) I’d like to see us in our very first shirt style, which was stripes.
But not original colours ( old gold & dark chocolate.
Gold and black stripes would look good I think.
Report abuse
I’m going to put a tenner on wolves getting promoted now.
Report abuse
17. Please don’t take offence. It’s only a bit of banter. After all, I fully remember Albion fans coming on here at the end of last season and gloating to full effect. I think it’s pay back time. It’s obviously got under your skin. Up the Wolves!
Report abuse
Now im going to stir it-
WELL DONE JEZ, another great deal by the big man JM!!! this bloke may be the most hated bloke at molineux but he has made some BRILLIANT deals whilst he has been at wolves!
Lay of Jezzer!!! he is making us millions!
Report abuse
17. Go away. We had terry and co on here gloating when you got promoted, dish it out, take it back. Reduced capacity, Scott Carson, No sponsor, Worse team than 12 months ago, going backwards, going down. we are wolves.
Report abuse
Is Jez doing the old “I won’t get my haircut until we get promoted” routines?
Report abuse
3, 10, 18: Agree!
Report abuse
First and foremost Well Done Chaucer for sponsoring Wolves over the last five years, its easy to sponsor a club when there on the up and everything is going fine, but to come on board when the Club have been relegated and up for sale!! Thats support.
Interested in the timing of the announcement, in the week we are awarded “Family Club of the Year” we look to encourage gambling, one of the biggest factors that can destroy a family, remember they won’t just have there name on the shirts but branding all round the ground!!
Also why was this not announced at the end of the season, who is now going to buy a Wolves Shirt now, even though its half price!!
Report abuse
As an aside, I got sent this question today –
I’ve scored for Man Utd against Liverpool and for Liverpool against Man Utd. I won the prem with a london club and have won trophies in Spain, Italy and Scotland but I’ve never played for my country. Who am I?
Now – I have a feeling that this is one of those made up, no-one has, type of questions. Arsenal and Chelsea are the only London sides to have won the prem – in terms of trophies in Scotland, I looked at Euro/World tournament finals in Scotland and couldn’t see the answer (it hosted the 76 Euro Cup, 2002 Champs League and 2007 UEFA Cup). Any one with any ideas or is it just one of those annoying questions made up to periodically waste many hours of previously productive office workers?
Ta kindly
Report abuse
Oh and on TV ive just noticed that at the press conferance the sportingbet.com logo is in RED and BLUE-lets hope those colours dont appear anywhere on our strip!(except on the Premier League arm badge of course!)-and 27 GRUMPEY OLE MAN-Gold and black stripes????-no thanks!-take a look at HULL CITYs home strip!!! Traditonal GOLD and Black please!!!!
Report abuse
I BET the Tesco’s wish they had Moxey!!!!!
Report abuse
Not happy with the promotion of gambling. I know the big money is important to the club, but this is one normally Happy Clapper Wolves Season Ticket holder who will not be wearing the new shirt.
Report abuse
Shocking…
No ‘Family Club’ should be associated with a gambling firm, and I’m dissapointed with this.
Jez has once again proved he doesnt give a **** about the fans
Report abuse
Good deal but don’t really want to see the blue and red colours on our shirt.
Report abuse
yeah bring back the LIQUIDATOR, you guys saying moxey is great, remember what he did to stoke, they were nt happy there, who cares about sponsors, lets buy some more talent for the prem push
Report abuse
I suppose in this day and age when you’ve lost your house and job and the dream of the good life is just a dream, you still can hold onto that dream. Forget the electric bill, the kids’ supper, just go online and gamble. It’s good, clean wholesome fun, it must be all the Wolves’ players are wearing it. Wolves are top of the league for their community involvement, so why tarnish this image with promoting an addiction that destroys lives. It’s bottom of the barrel stuff. I think I’d better go and snap up some ‘Chaucer’ shirts, at least they had a certain ‘Olde England’ charm about them. Even the awful ‘Doritos’ shirts were better, you could always guarantee a crisp finish. Our almost anonymous owner once suggested that the old gold and black had fantastic potential to become a world football brand and we have become so thanks to the worldwide web and its unrestrained capacity to exploit the weak and vulnerable.
I suspect we will have the routine justification that everyone else has their snouts in the trough, so why should we be any different. We could be, we could sponsor Wolverhampton’s fastest growing retail outfit, Compton Hospice. Leaving aside that slightly dubious remark, how much would it ail us to take less money for something more wholesome than a bookies.
Report abuse
I wouldn’t normally be that concerned about sponsors, although Doritos was terrible but I can see where some on here are coming from who feel it somewhat inappropriate for a club having just won the family club award to then take a gambling company as main sponsor, after all £500k a year isn’t a massive amount in the grand scheme of things.
I’m more inclined to being concerned about the colour of the sponsors logo on our shirt????
UTW
Report abuse
Not happy about promoting an on line gambaling site but i will be even MORE UNHAPPY if the red and blue logo is on our strip!!!!-lets hope comonsense provals and its in black-unlike the awefull DORITOS logo that tarnished our last Premier League experience! If you feel the same leave your comments as the top brass at Wolves do log onto this site and read all our views. And yes-BRING BACK THE LIQUIDATOR on match days-WELL SAID!
Report abuse
Well said-no BLUE and RED logos tarnishing our Gold and Black colours!!!
Report abuse
Just a thought, Richie.
Something on the lines of broad gold, narrow black at home. The obverse, away.
Would need to look at some designs, but might look quite fetching
Report abuse
quite liked the 1974 strip with the 3 wolves across the chest , as for sponsors , remember tatung? korean tv company whos owner had links with human rights abuse, anyway blouse 0 wwfc 2
Report abuse
I Agree,dont want to see the RED & BLUE colours on our home shirt-traditional Gold and Black ONLY please Jez!!!!!-dont let us down on this one!!!!
Report abuse
4 shirts in 2 years!!!!!!
increased ticket prices!!!!!!
jez your having a laugh!
Report abuse
Well im not a fan of Gambaling websites-seems a bit contradictory being ‘family club of the year’ but having said that we all make our own choices wether to WASTE our money on those sites or not!!! But i dont want to see the red and blue logo on our home shirt-if its not in black expect LOW sales of the new shirts for next season-remember the horrible DORITOS shirt??? I Like the old STAW DISTRIBUTION style shirt from the 80s.
Report abuse
He´s bought back the A-TEAM, DALLAS, GRANGEHILL
Now chanel 4´s JLC biggest challage….
BRING BACK THE LIQUIDATOR !!
Report abuse
49. Next season its new Home AND Away shirts! No pictures/designs yet but lets hope we get a trad home in just Gold/Black and a crisp White away strip although i suspect thats where we’ll see the red & blue sponser logo!
Report abuse
He´s bought back the A-TEAM, DALLAS, GRANGEHILL
Now chanel 4´s JLC´S biggest challage….
BRING BACK THE LIQUIDATOR !!
Report abuse
19. YES!!
Report abuse
I really think people should put these things in perspective, it’s a good deal for the club and whether you like it or not from a moral point of view, there are absolutely 100s of online betting sites out there and I doubt very much that just because their name appears on our club’s shirts it is going to lead to untold hardship for all of our younger supporters, firstly you have to be 18, secondly you either bet or you don’t bet, I don’t personally read too much into it other than it’s putting money in the club’s coffers.
You only have to be on any website these days and a pop up or an add for an online betting company will be on there, so most young people (who are online a lot more than most adults) are already well aware of their existence.
I didn’t immediately change the tyres on my car when Good Year became our sponsor and I have NEVER used Chaucer Consulting.
As my old man used to say “It says PG Tips on the side of buses but they don’t serve tea”
Report abuse
jez, just watched the video.
You have put some weight on !!
Report abuse
20. Couldn’t agree more mate!
LIQUIDATOR AT WOLVES, Lets make a petition!
Report abuse
This leaves a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth. We can’t be a ‘family’ club AND be sponsored by a company whose only motivation is to extract money from the weak and vulnerable. I suppose there will be direct links on the wolves website and e-mails to the gambling website with offers of ‘free bets’and ‘special offers’ designed to entice people in. After all, they wouldnt be sponsoring us if they didnt think they’d make money from us.
Report abuse
Anyone else hearing the rumours Kightly is injured?
Report abuse
I am pleased that several posts agreed with my concerns about us promoting gambling. Red and white on our shirts would be terrible too.
This is taking the gloss off the season and like others, I will stick to the chaucer shirts and pass on any new ones for the next two years.
Meanwhile I think our recent ‘off the field’ success will give us the edge over the next couple of weeks. A win at Brum and it will be all over. I will be buying a season ticket even though I will have to travel from London each game. Could be great next year. well done mick.
Report abuse
47 truewolves
Sorry to have to correct you, but Tatung was a Taiwanese Company not Korean !!
Report abuse
Think Jez is sponsored by The Pie Factory.
Report abuse
Where to start?? I’ve bought every home shirt (bar the tyre marks one) since 1991 but even with it looking like we’re going up I’m really torn over this sponsor. Shocking how the ‘Family of the Year’ club can be associated with an online gambling site. May as well give back that latest award as we don’t deserve it!
Also the colours blue and red will appear next season, of course they will! You don’t pay that kind of money only to compromise on your own logo.
Being quite far from the Mol, I wear my shirt with pride and it’s a rarity down here in Essex but I won’t be sporting next year if it’s a cheap chavvy blue, red, gold, black and probably white shirt.
And in any case, it’s only March! Chaucer have still got another 2 months yet!
Report abuse
Another reason to have yet another new home and away kit for next season then.
Report abuse
no20 its all right if you want desinger tops.
some of us have drunk our fair share of ale and eaten the pies watching our wolves in the last 30 years or more we need our comfort.
(do we get a dizzie if we bet with em)
Report abuse
good stuff, will look good on our shirts when we are up in the premiership too
Report abuse
2 shirts in 2 years…..
I’m drawing the line…..
………………………………….
When i bought this years shirt where was the warningthat the club with be getting a new kit in the following year and that you willhave to fork out another £45FOR A SHIRT..
CREDIT CRUNCH MY BOTTOM AT THE Wolves….
Jez…1 step to far…
but hey…who am i ? only a support and a fan, sure if dont buy it ….another 15k will buy it….
bout time we made a stand even if it’s the club we love…
WILLNOT BE BUYING THIS SHIRT NEXT YEAR !!! FACT
Report abuse
IS THIS THE REASON WHY THEY ARE FLOGGING THE KITS OFF AT £20 A THROW?,GOT MY AWAY ONE YESTERDAY AND VERY DISSAPOINTED WITH THIS REJECT(NUMBERS AND LETTERING ARE IN WHITE NOT NEON AND NECK DOESNT MEET,ANYONE ELSE FIND THE SAME?,MY HOME KIT IS SPOT ON AT£40.COME ON JEZ US SUPPORTERS ARE NOT THICK,YOU KNOWN THIS FOR A WHILE NOW(FREE POSTING AND PACKING),NOW WE KNOW WHY THEY CALLED IT A “SALE”,AND SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT JEZ CANT MARKET(BLOODY ROGUE)
Report abuse
Great news, I don’t think Chaucer were really ‘big league’ anyway.
Regarding earlier comments, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to enjoy the Happy Wanderer followed by The Liquidator before matches – perhaps we should all start a petition!!! We pay Moxey’s wages don’t we?
Report abuse
Now build a casino in the defunct South-bank corner, OR a gym for MOXEY!!
Report abuse
55 – completely agree.
1) if they didn’t sponsor us they wold sponsor someone else
2)I’m sure the majority of wolves fans have sufficient will power to not lost their house because a gambling website sponsors a football shirt
3)If you’re a responsible adult you exert parental control to monitor what websites your children go on anyway
You can’t have your cake and eat it folks. At least we’ve got a shirt sponsor. You’d all be moaning if we didn’t have one.
Remember we are in a recession and marketing budgets available to big companies have been significantly reduced and realistically it’s only companies like gambling websites (and fast food chains) making any money.
With no one buying new cars the likes of goodyear couldn’t sponsor my local quiz team let alone a potential premiership football team.
Report abuse
people really do talk rubbish, gamlbing isnt an evil to be hated, you wouldnt say the same it if was alcohol would you? yet surely alcoholism destroys more families than gambling. seriously take a reaity check everything in moderation, gamble sesibly, drink sensibly eat junkfood sensibly and you’ll have no problems. hell back when people smoked sensibly it wasnt that bad for them.
and hell surely in this age financial firms have done more harm to peoples lives than gambling seriously some people….. and as for gettin rid of the baggy shirt you do realise the average midlander is, well a lil podgy these days, there are more than a few people around the mol and other midlands grounds you really dont wanna see in a skinny fit shirt.
Report abuse
Like any business they’ll be “passionate about football” when it suits them to be..and sponsorship is all about money. So they’ll be happy with the deal. Where were all these company’s in the dark days after Heysel? When their profits were severely hit by the lack of european football and the domestic humiliation of empty stadium?…they weren’t interested in football. Except this company are perhaps worse than the rest as they make their money from selling no products at all…of any value to man nor beast. They sell poverty, hardship to people and as such i won’t be buying any Wolves shirt with their name written on it. Ever!! keep big business out of football.
Report abuse
kightly broken foot out for season you heard it here first
Report abuse
74 Let’s hope this stuff on the BBC and other sites is just an April Fool! If so, you heard it here first!
Report abuse
All of you chaps having a go at Jez needing to visit the gym, just remember that he has to try the pies first before he sells them.
He does it unselfishly for our good!
Report abuse
KIGHTS I WAITING FOR A SCAN TO COME BACK BUT WOLVES HAVE RULED OUT THAT HE HAS BROKE A BONE
LETS HOPE HE HASENT
IF HE HAS MM BEST GET ON THE PHONE TO SUNDERLAND TO GET CARLOS EDWARDS
Report abuse
77. The deadline for loan signings has passed.
Report abuse
This is No Aprils Fools Joke.
Kightly definitely broke his ankle last night and is out for the rest of the season.
I’ve had it on very good authority.
Report abuse
Theres too many mixed messages here, some are saying he’s broke a bone in his foot, broke his ankle, not broken anything why not wait til it’s confirmed by the club.
Report abuse
79. whoever your good authority is as had you for a fool, an april one, Kites has broke his metatarsal.
Report abuse
The arrival of a bookie as sponsor really does sum up wolverhampton, sometimes I despair of the town to what it used to represent – wolverhampton must have more bookies in the town centre to any other like for like town ive ever been to, i can count at least 12….perhaps this explains the severe poverty, low house prices and low esteem of local people but hey at least jez moxley is happy
Report abuse