Ladbrokes backs Scottish football with £4 million deal

Scottish football was celebrating a new title sponsor today after bookmaker Ladbrokes agreed a two-year deal worth £4 million.

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) said the agreement includes rights across all four leagues and 42 clubs.

Neil Doncaster, the SPFL chief executive, said it was the biggest title sponsorship deal agreed by Scottish football and apart from the additional finance it was also about pride.

“It is about saying a huge UK blue chip company wants to partner with us. It demonstrates we are open for business and we can welcome others.”

The SPFL has been without a sponsor since 2013 when the league was restructured. Clydesdale Bank sponsored the former Scottish Premier League but chose not to renew the £2m-per-year which was shared among the top 12 clubs.

Scotland’s leagues become known as the Ladbrokes Premiership, Ladbrokes Championship, Ladbrokes League 1 and Ladbrokes League 2 next season.

The latest deal takes the total SPFL prize-money fund to £20m. Next season’s Premiership champions will receive an additional £268,000 as a result, with the Championship winners receiving £45,000 more.

The team finishing bottom of League Two will earn an extra £3,600.

Mr Doncaster admitted that “it has not been the easiest time to go out and sell a title sponsorship”.

He said: “We are well aware of some of the financial issues that have affected some of our member clubs over that period.

“But the reality is that we have had a number of big brands who wanted to partner with us.

“We have had various offers over the period that we’ve rejected, but the clubs’ stance, which we think has been vindicated, was they wanted to wait for the right brand at the right money.”

Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen added: “We love football so we are delighted to be working with the SPFL on one of the best opportunities in British sport.

“This partnership will help to propel Ladbrokes and the SPFL to new heights and will put us at the heart of Scottish football throughout the year. Getting people engaged with great sport and making sure they share our passion is at the very core of everything we are about.”

Ladbrokes has more than 2,100 shops across the UK and has recently sponsored rugby league’s Challenge Cup, extended its backing of horse racing’s St Leger Festival at Doncaster and continues to sponsor The Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.