Uptonsteel Acquires Naming Rights To Leicestershire County Cricket Club Ground
Leicestershire County Cricket Club has announced that steel products supplier, Uptonsteel, has elevated its association with the club by acquiring the naming rights to its ground.
The County Ground at Grace Road, Leicester will now be officially named Uptonsteel County Ground. The deal will cover the 2021 domestic season. Uptonsteel have been the front of shirt and wicket sponsor for Leicestershire for the past four years and this sponsorship deal will also continue in 2021.
Uptonsteel’s managing director, James Upton, said: “We’ve been supporters of the Running Foxes for about four years and have benefited from the exposure offered to us through previous sponsorship opportunities.
“We’re really proud to be named as the official ground naming rights sponsor. At Uptonsteel we’re really passionate about sport and the Running Foxes have played a big part in our region’s community for so long, we want to support the club’s future.”
Club management said Uptonsteel’s deal comes after Fischer Future Heat decided not to renew the naming rights partnership that had been running for five years. Leicestershire chief executive Sean Jarvis was reported as saying that recent sponsorship and advertising deals, as well as membership renewals, was helping the club through COVID-19.
Leicestershire was forced to play its entire 2020 season behind closed doors, with Mr Jarvis stating the club lost between £200K-£250K in the final three months of the year after being forced to cancel traditional revenue raisers such as Christmas parties and fireworks displays.
Mr Jarvis also added that the club had added a number of new partners recently and whilst their former sponsor, Fischer Future Heat, decided they could not to renew their sponsorship they would continue to be supporters of the club. Whilst the sponsorship was opened to other businesses who have been involved with the club, Uptonsteel, who have been tremendous supporters for a number of years, also the main shirt and wicket sponsor, wanted to take the opportunity. The agreement is for 2021 and it is hoped to make it longer term.
