ASTON Villa is set to end its Acorns charity shirt deal – but denied a report that the move was to cut the club’s financial losses.
Villa chairman Randy Lerner has given the Midland charity, which cares for life limited children and their families, a free place promoting its work on the club’s shirt since the 2008-09 campaign.
A media report has claimed that Villa was to drop the charity in favour of a more lucrative commercial shirt deal to help recoup last season’s losses of £43.7 million.
But a club spokesman said: “This has absolutely nothing to do with cutbacks, cutting losses or saving money.’’
He added that the club was very proud of its groundbreaking shirt deal which boosted Acorns profile and insisted that the players would continue to support the charity in other ways.
He said the shirts deal was never intended to “last for ever”.
The club initially approached Acorns about using the charity on their shirts after players and staff developed a strong relationship.
When the deal was first announced, in 2008, the club said it would give “a truly wonderful organisation a significant platform from which to touch more people”.
A spokesman for Aston Villa said: “We have made clear that any new commercial partnership would still work very closely with Acorns and that would be an integral part of any agreement.
“The club are very proud of this groundbreaking association and the work that has been done thus far and believe everybody will benefit from making sure this continues.”
David Strudley, Chief Executive of Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “Acorns’ presence on Aston Villa’s shirts for the last two seasons is only one element of an extremely strong partnership that both parties are committed to in the long term.
“This tremendous gift has provided a unique platform which is leading to many exciting, new opportunities.
“We are confident that as we continue to work closely with Aston Villa no one will forget us or the important role we play in supporting life limited and life threatened children and their families across the heart of England.”
