[JoshW]

Doesn't bother me at all, maybe they will use that money to do something a little more cost effective. If nothing else was lot of free publicity.

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LONDON: Entertainment company Mansion pulled out of £70mil shirt sponsorship talks with Manchester United on Monday, upset at the way negotiations were finally handled.

United’s £9mil a year deal with current shirt sponsors Vodafone finishes at the end of this season.

In a statement, Mansion said that United, one of the world’s richest clubs, had told them at the weekend that another company had been simultaneously agreeing a deal with the club.

“We are very disappointed at the manner in which Manchester United has concluded these contract negotiations and are very surprised that the discussions were terminated at this late stage, in what we consider to be an unprofessional manner,” Mansion’s chief operating officer David Kinsman said.

Mansion runs an international casino, sports exchange and sports book business and said the deal with United would have been worth £65-£70mil over four years.

United said in a statement on Monday night: “We would understand why anybody would be disappointed at not securing the shirt sponsorship deal for Manchester United.

“We have not and do not enter into periods of exclusive negotiation and every party we have discussed the shirt sponsorship with are aware of that.

“All the parties were aware that several discussions were going on at the same time and our priority is to look for the most appropriate deal for Manchester United.

“It’s only the third time we have sold this property and clearly we want to get it right. We have been having discussions with Mansion and we are sorry they feel that way and wish them every success in the future.”

Kinsman told Reuters in a telephone interview: “We dealt with two people during our negotiations – David Gill, the managing director and CEO, and Andy Anson, who is the commercial director of Manchester United.

“It was Andy Anson who confirmed to me on Friday night that we had a deal, it was Anson who advised me on Saturday night in writing as to his arrival details in London for this morning and it was Anson who rang me at 5.45 last night to tell me they had gone elsewhere.”

He added: “He simply told me that they had decided to give the sponsorship to another company. I asked him (who it was) and he said I would find out later.”

Kinsman continued: “I’ve been in business for some 35 plus years and I have done some very major business deals – much larger than this. I was quite disappointed the way this deal played out in the end. I think it could have been avoided if there had been a different attitude as to how the deal was carried out on their side.”

He added that negotiations had gone on from the end of last year. Mansion would now look for another Premier League club to back, he said. – Reuters

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.a...735&sec=sports

[natrass]

I posted all this yesterday lakerfan ... to the boards complete indifference I must say.

I also alluded to free publicity ... for a sportsbook ... by the biggest sports club in the world .... for free. Good idea really.

[Mudcat]

Originally Posted by natrass

I posted all this yesterday lakerfan ... to the boards complete indifference I must say.

If it's any comfort, I'm just as indifferent today.

[Bill Dozer]

This is nothing new in the business world. It's good PR for the party whose goal was to get exactly that, good PR. It's good for the seller who gets artificial appreciation. Doyle Brunson was purported to be playing this game with the WPT purchase and the FLA Marlins and San Antonio will probably both benefit from negotiations, serious or not.

[JoshW]

Thanks Natrass, I just got back from a week off didn't see. With the money Mansion can throw around this industry I think any news about them is significant, thank you for posting.

[natrass]

I hear SBR are in talks about sponsoring the New York Yankees !!?

[pags11]

I'm actually glad now to see they won't spend these advertising dollars...