Galpharm Stadium to change name

THE Galpharm Stadium is up for grabs – or at least the naming rights are. The sponsorship deal which has seen the home of Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants bear the name Galpharm is to end after six years.

And now stadium chiefs are hunting a new sponsor.
It will mean a fourth name, after the initial Kirklees Stadium became the McAlpine Stadium and then the Galpharm. Stadium managing director Ralph Rimmer is confident a deal can be struck, even in these tough economic times. He has held talks with several potential sponsors but wants to open up the bidding to see what interest there is. The name Galpharm will stay until a new deal is agreed and the sponsorship deals for the four stands remain as they are. Mr Rimmer declined to talk about costs but it is likely to involve a seven-figure sum. The money would buy the new owner of the name global publicity. Soccer and rugby games feature on TV stations across the world, and there are also many other events linked to the venue. The Galpharm deal is coming to an end because the brand – owned and established by former Town chairman Graham Leslie – is being phased out. American drugs giant Perrigo bought Barnsley-based Galpharm Healthcare in a deal worth £44m two years ago. Galpharm International’s sponsorship of the stadium was an integral part of its business plan. Mr Leslie said Galpharm increased sales by over 100% within four years of the signing of the sponsorship deal. The stadium has seen real progress over the last few years, with both Town and the Giants flourishing, both teams now backed by successful and prominent businessmen with great ambition in Dean Hoyle and Ken Davy. International and national sporting events, pop concerts and community activity have all remained a central focus at the stadium and last month saw the granting of planning permission for the huge new leisure complex, The HD One. Mr Leslie, former chairman of Galpharm International, said: “For me personally, it will be quite a sad day to see Galpharm replaced at the stadium, having been the founder chairman in the early 90s and creator along with Sir John Harman.

“The commercial rationale to sponsor the stadium proved so successful that global interest was in abundance once the campaign was launched to sell the company.

“As a national company with local origins, we used it as a flagship and a statement of our business intent, but it also developed an enormous sense of pride amongst the staff within Galpharm.”

Mr Rimmer said: “It’s a very special property and one that doesn’t become available very often.

“The mix of brand exposure, hospitality and direct marketing opportunities make it a unique package.

“I will now be taking it to market and expect interest to be substantial.”

LINK

THE GIANTS.CO.NR STADIUM.

Come on Mark, if we have a whipround, we can do the 6 figures....


£11.98 (including poundsign & full stop!!!)

reidy wrote:

THE GIANTS.CO.NR STADIUM.

Come on Mark, if we have a whipround, we can do the 6 figures....


£11.98 (including poundsign & full stop!!!)

I'll go halves on it and do the last three figures .98 but only if we can call it the 'New Fartown in association with giants.co.nr Stadium'.

I've read all the relevant forums ie Town and Giants and it's amazing how many of the suggestions ignore the other tenant, probably understandable.

Just hope whoever comes up with the highest offer has a tough sounding name just imagine the giants running out to the tannoy announcing :-

"welcome to the Always Ultra stadium" or
"welcome to the Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Pudding Bowl" or heaven forbid
"welcome to the Anne Summers Stadium, where on the big screen you can see Eorl Crabtree and Andy Raleigh modelling a few choice items from the new range on sale now!!!!"

Clock-Face-Giant wrote:

Just hope whoever comes up with the highest offer has a tough sounding name just imagine the giants running out to the tannoy announcing :-

"welcome to the Always Ultra stadium" or
"welcome to the Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Pudding Bowl" or heaven forbid
"welcome to the Anne Summers Stadium, where on the big screen you can see Eorl Crabtree and Andy Raleigh modelling a few choice items from the new range on sale now!!!!"

it could be worse.. ann summers could be the sposors of the south sydney team

adelaide-giant.no9 wrote:

Clock-Face-Giant wrote:

Just hope whoever comes up with the highest offer has a tough sounding name just imagine the giants running out to the tannoy announcing :-

"welcome to the Always Ultra stadium" or
"welcome to the Aunt Bessies Yorkshire Pudding Bowl" or heaven forbid
"welcome to the Anne Summers Stadium, where on the big screen you can see Eorl Crabtree and Andy Raleigh modelling a few choice items from the new range on sale now!!!!"

it could be worse.. ann summers could be the sposors of the south sydney team

Ann Summers Rabbitohs

I've just wet me bleedin self lol, stop it FFS!!!!!!!

The Always Ultra Stadium, guaranteed never to have a soggy pitch!! :0)

reidy wrote:

I've just wet me bleedin self lol, stop it FFS!!!!!!!

that team would be rampant

Can just picture it, the water carrier runs on, his supply has disappeared by the time he makes the halfway line!

Just read an interesting thing somewhere about this and I can't help think it could very close to the truth!

Seeing as the original sponsor were the ground developers, in the last month the HDone project has got it's go ahead. Whats to say the tender involves the naming rights? It just adds up as the Galpharm sponsorship contract was for 10 years and has only lasted 6!