Meadow Lane no more

The end of an era

The Nottingham-based estate agents have put pen to paper on a deal that will also see them become Notts' home shirt sponsors.

In total, the one-year arrangement will be worth around £180,000 to the Magpies, which could be vital in their battle for survival.

It is thought the sponsorship of the ground is worth in excess of £100,000, while the separate kit sponsorship would earn the club around £50,000.

Fans will still be waiting with bated breath to see if the city council alter their decision not to guarantee half of a £3.4m bank loan to the club, following a meeting tonight.

Meadow Lane - Aron Scargill Stadium

Acting chairman Albert Scardino believes the council should see the new sponsorship as being a sign of the backing the club has in Nottingham.

"It is something that we have to believe is incredibly encouraging," he said.

"The fact that the club can be in the situation it is in and still be able to attract backing of this kind from a local company, says a great deal.

"And, it goes without saying, that a deal of this kind is vital given the financial position of the club.

"It is not going to solve our immediate financial problems, because the days where you get all the money for this kind of deal up front are gone.

"We will not get all the money straight away, it will be staggered over the course of the season."

The new sponsorship deal is likely to fill the void left by the collapse of ITV Digital.

"What it does, almost entirely, is make up for the money we are likely to miss out on through the TV deal," said Scardino.

"So in a sense, we are back on an even keel in terms of the budget we drew up for the season.

"Hopefully, that will be a consideration when the council are considering our situation again."

Scardino hopes it could be the start of a long relationship between the club and the company.

"It is a one-year deal initially, again that is the nature of sponsorship deals in football these days," he said.

"But I think both parties are hoping it will be the start of a long-term partnership.

"Certainly I believe Aaron Scargill are hopeful that this will be a longer term deal.

"The nature of the contract is such that it can easily be extended on a yearly basis and that is the intention. "This will not interfere with our deal with UhlSport.

"The agreement was always that they would be our shirt sponsors, unless we managed to reach a deal with somebody else."

The move has initially been welcomed by Notts supporters, despite the fact that by changing the name of the stadium, the club are ending 92 years of tradition.

"I am not sure how fans will react to seeing the name of the ground changed, but at the end of the day it could be a vital injection of cash for the club," said Greg Hickman, a Notts fan of 20-years from Southglade Park.

"If it even helps in a small way towards keeping the club afloat then it will be worthwhile. I think most people will still refer to it as Meadow Lane anyway