Paddy Power signs up as Farnborough FC club sponsor
Agreement with Irish operator sees entire playing squad change name by Deed Poll
Paddy Power has signed a deal to become semi-professional football team Farnborough FC’s main sponsor, saving the club from administration in the process.
The agreement will see the Irish operator’s logo feature on Farnborough’s match shirts and hoardings at the club’s stadium, which has been renamed Paddy Power Park.
The sponsorship pact has also seen members of the club’s playing squad and management team change their names by Deed Poll to match those of football legends, such as former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane and Argentinean forward Lionel Messi.
The club’s manager Spencer Day has changed his name to that of Portuguese Champions League winner José Mourinho, while assistant manager Leigh Dynan will now be known as Paddy Power.
The Skrill Conference South side entered administration on 26 April 2013 in order to protect the club from being wound up after the HMRC issued a winding-up petition, with the club claiming to have struggled under the weight of historic debts.
Paddy Power has become synonymous with marketing stunts, having Danish footballer Nicklas Bendtner wear a pair of Paddy Power pants at the 2012 European Championships.
More recently the bookmaker issued a call for PR agencies to pitch stunt ideas as the company looks to ramp-up its efforts in the lead up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.