‘The Swans’ home now Swansea.com Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, August 19^th, 2021

Image: Swansea City

The Championship club Swansea City A.F.C. (UK) has announced a new naming rights partnership that has seen the club’s home – Liberty Stadium – become the Swansea.com Stadium with immediate effect.

The ‘Swansea City FC’ stated that the new 10-year agreement sees Swansea.com take over from Liberty Properties plc as the stadium’s title sponsor. The deal will see Swansea City and the Ospreys represent the City (Swansea) and region by stepping out to play at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The Swansea City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales (UK) that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea has played their home matches at the Swansea.com Stadium since 2005, having previously played at the Vetch Field since the club was founded.

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The 21,088-capacity Swansea.com Stadium is an all-seated sports stadium and conferencing venue located in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales (UK). The stadium opened in 2005 and was named the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea.com is a trading company based in Swansea. It has several investments across different sectors including travel, hospitality, real estate and sports. Swansea.com is proud to be based in Swansea, employing local people in the City in which it invests, and has done for the last 30 years.

The ‘Swansea City FC’ further stated that it is the latest chapter in the relationship between the two companies. Many of Swansea.com’s businesses have been involved with the club over the last two decades and more.

This began with the sponsorship of a stand at the Vetch Field in 1998, through to appearing on the front of the club’s shirt from 2001 to 2009, with Swansea.com itself holding that position from 2007 to 2009.

Pursuing a new naming rights partner has been looked into extensively since the club agreed to a deal with the Swansea Council to take on a 37-year lease for the facility in February of 2018, with the aim of growing the club commercially.

Relegation from the Premier League and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenge of finding the right brand to align with the club and the venue, which has been known as the Liberty Stadium since shortly after its opening in 2005.

There were a number of global businesses among the interested parties when it came to the naming rights for the stadium, including those within the travel, gambling and cryptocurrency sectors.

However, having elected to move towards a more local focus in its partnerships – including having Swansea University as front of shirt sponsor – the club opted to look at potential naming rights partners within its own City and community.

As a club, the decision to overhaul its commercial outlook and engage with local partners, sponsors and suppliers has proved to be a rewarding one, one which the club believes has future-proofed Swansea City and the regional partners it is proud to be working with.

As a result of this desire to choose local, the large majority of businesses Swansea City currently has commercial relationships with operate within the South Wales area.

This has led to this new decade-long agreement with a prominent Swansea-based company in Swansea.com, which guarantees a seven-figure sum to the club and is of a longer tenure than the industry average for stadium naming rights deals, providing the club with additional financial security at a challenging time.

Remarked Swansea City Chief Executive, Julian Winter, “I am delighted that we, as a club, are able to announce this naming rights deal for the stadium. I am proud of the work we have done as a club when it comes to focusing on our local area and community. This football club prides itself on its place at the heart of the community it represents, and adding to our portfolio of local business sponsors and partners is another indicator of our commitment to our City.”

Added Swansea City’s Head of Commercial, Rebecca Edwards-Symmons, “We welcome Swansea.com as our new naming rights partner, and we look forward to a successful period – on and off the pitch – over the next 10 years. From a commercial point of view, the main focus has been to drive the commercial longevity of the business and financially futureproof the football club. A key part of that has been to find a stadium naming rights partner whose values match our own, and a deal that represents a significant commitment and financial boost to the club following what has been a difficult time at all levels of the game amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”

Symmons continued, “That we have been able to reach an agreement with a Swansea-based company makes total sense for us as a football club, and aligns with our desire to accentuate the links we already have with numerous businesses and partners within our City and the surrounding area. We look forward to what we hope will be a successful future with Swansea City playing at the Swansea.com Stadium.”

Observed Swansea.com’s Group Managing Director Jacob Hughes, “It is an honor and privilege to continue our investment into Swansea City with this 10-year commitment through the stadium naming rights. With many of our businesses being based in Swansea, employing local people, we feel the opportunity to further our partnership with the club is amazing. Over the last 20 years, the business has worked hard to invest in the City and its surrounding areas.” Ospreys CEO, Nick Garcia, added, “Competing in the United Rugby Championship and the Champions Cup takes the Ospreys and our supporters around the world, with matches in seven countries across two hemispheres. However, nothing makes us happier than hosting global rugby supporters and clubs, where they can meet our supporters and partners at our home in Swansea. Swansea.com is a great brand that aligns with our roots and will be familiar to many of our supporters. We’re delighted to have them as the new title partner of the stadium and look forward to working with them to build the best rugby matchday experience across the two competitions.”

Councilor Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council, exulted, “I’m delighted our stadium has a name that reflects our wonderful City and a company that has invested in Swansea and its people. This long-term commitment will ensure we continue to grow the relationship between the stadium, its football and rugby teams and the people of Swansea.”

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