In a time when high-profiled football clubs change sponsors every second or third year, a club and a sponsor having stayed together for 15 years and having committed each other for at least another three years is unheard of.
But this is exactly the partnership between Liverpool FC in the English Premier League and the Carlsberg breweries. The parties signed their first agreement in 1992, which has been extended several times since. Most recently during the spring of 2007 and the present agreement runs until 2010.
The Carlsberg – Liverpool agreement is the longest club partnership in The Premiership.
Rick Parry, Chief Executive of Liverpool FC, says Carlsberg and LFC share commitment to excellence in their respective fields.
So far, it has been a good time for Carlsberg to support Liverpool. Over the period of 15 years the club has won nine trophies, including the amazing come-back to beat Italian Milan 4-3 in the 2005 European Cup Final.
Success for both parties
“Carlsberg is very determined to support Liverpool FC in its ambition of continuously improving the team. No other English club can match their record of success during the period, and we hope to see even stronger performance and more trophies in the coming years. The bigger success for Liverpool FC, the bigger the sponsorship value for us”, says Keld Strudahl, International Marketing Director, Carlsberg.
The agreement gives Carlsberg the possibility to continue marketing initiatives, but not only in England. Especially in the Far East, Carlsberg’s local companies take advantage of Liverpool’s popularity and international fan base. To involve fans and consumers many Asian Carlsberg companies invite them to participate in competitions where the main prize is tickets for Liverpool FC home matches.
Support to the local community
Sports editor Richard Williamson of the Liverpool Daily Post stresses that the long relationship between Liverpool FC and Carlsberg is a compliment from Carlsberg to the club.
“Of course, I realise that the sponsorship first of all is a matter of marketing and selling more beer. As a well renowned brand in the Far East I believe that the club is a shortcut for Carlsberg to raise the awareness in that part of the world”, Williamson says.
“But there’s no doubt that the average Liverpool fan respects Carlsberg for supporting the local community and local initiatives during the years. Everybody in Liverpool knows who is the sponsor of Liverpool FC”, the sports editor from the Liverpool Daily Post says.
Not only with Liverpool FC
Today Carlsberg is probably one of the largest football sponsors in terms of numbers. Besides the UEFA EURO 2008 and Liverpool FC, Carlsberg is National Team Sponsor for England, Ireland, Serbia-Montenegro and Switzerland. Plus for the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup in England and The Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong.
Besides Liverpool FC, Carlsberg is involved in sponsorships with national top clubs Hamburg SV in Germany, Toronto FC in Canada, FC Copenhagen and Odense in Denmark, as well as Vojvodina in Serbia.
With Liverpool FC You’ll Never Walk Alone
One of the world’s most famous club anthems ever is “You’ll Never Wall Alone”.
Written by Rogers and Hammerstein for the 1945 Broadway musical 'Carousel', Gerry Marsden and his Pacemakers performed the song in Liverpool clubs during the birth of Merseybeat. Released in October 1963 “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was the Pacemakers' third consecutive number one and nowhere was it more popular than on the Kop, the Liverpool fan’s preferred section of Anfield Road.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” has been played and sung at the Anfield Stadium ever since.
The lyrics:
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone