Home   >   News   >   Leeds form partnership with American football team San Fransisco 49ers

Leeds form partnership with American football team San Fransisco 49ers

By on January 10, 2014

Leeds United’s quest for promotion to the English Premier League has taken to new heights as the club announced the creation of a unique partnership they have struck with the American football franchise the San Fransisco 49ers.  The Championship club’s new owners, a consortium including the club’s management director David Haigh and Andrew Flowers, a director for Leed’s main sponsors Enterprise Insurance, looked to build the club commercially following their acquisition of 75% of the company and turned to the American franchise to do so.

The 49ers, who lost the Super Bowl XLVII (equivalent to the UEFA Champions League final) in early 2013, will send over delegations to Yorkshire, which is also where the 49ers owners live (probably the reason the deal happened in the first place), in order to help Leeds in marketing, ticketing, merchandising, and commercial issues.

“This is a strategic partnership and we’re looking forward to working closely with the 49ers,” David Haigh said.  “They are a worldwide brand, and we’ll be discussing all aspects of our business; marketing, ticketing, merchandising, and commercial opportunities, and hopefully tapping into and sharing knowledge with them.”

According to Leeds chairman Salah Nooruddin the club had been “talking with the 49ers for a good while”, but Chief the Operating Officer of the 49ers, Paraag Marathe, said the American football team was finally delighted to have agreed to the deal.

“The 49ers are very excited about the prospect of partnering with Leeds United, a club with an international following as well as great history and tradition,” Marathe said.

“We look forward to sharing best practices with Leeds United and providing them with our perspective on the sports industry. This is an exciting opportunity for us to link up with an English football club and learn from each other.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.