Dubs to have new €800,000 sponsor by October

DUBLIN chief executive John Costello has revealed that the county will have a new sponsor in place by the end of October and that the deal will be worth more than the long-running partnership with Arnotts.

The Dublin city department store ended its 18-year association with the county this summer and it is believed that the county board is seeking a new package worth in the region of €800,000, which could rise to €1m with performance-related bonuses.

“We are confident we will achieve what we are currently obtaining from sponsorship,” said Costello yesterday. “We will receive that and we are confident that it will be increased. It will be greater, in other words.”

The deal with Arnotts encompassed both the hurling and football codes and included the county minor and U21s sides, as well as the seniors, and Costello has intimated that the new partnership will probably continue along those lines.

“You are probably looking at a sponsorship deal that will include the U14s up and in both codes,” said former Dublin footballer Michael O’Keeffe who is a sponsorship consultant with Pembroke Communications.

“This is a sponsorship of Dublin GAA not just the senior team and it is for two of the biggest sports in the capital: hurling which is up and coming and football which is the glamour one. It holds mass appeal.”

With underage sides also likely to come under the deal’s umbrella, alcohol companies and bookmakers would be ruled out but there are still at least four companies believed to be in the running to come on board.

“We are currently putting a package together and we will shortly go to market,” said Costello. “There has been some considerable interest in our proposal. This is the first time in the last 20 years, practically, for this sponsorship to become available.

“We are delighted to offer it. We know that our brand is one of the biggest sporting brands in the country. Our market research tells us that and we are confident we will have a new sponsor on board by November 1.”

Dublin may begin the 2010 season with a new sponsor but Costello has confirmed that the senior hurling and football sides will be mentored by the same management teams, both of whom experienced ups and downs during their first seasons in charge.

“We agreed at county committee last year that Anthony Daly would be in charge for two years,” said Costello. “We are delighted with the progress we made this year.

“We retained our Division One status, reached a Leinster hurling final and perhaps didn’t perform to our ability against Limerick. We were disappointed to lose to Limerick in the All-Ireland quarter-final so next year is a matter of building on that success and going a step further. He was given two years at the outset so it was never in doubt whatsoever.”

Pat Gilroy will shortly be meeting with the county’s management committee to discuss the past season and the one to come but he too will be patrolling the sidelines come January.

“The game against Kerry was a disappointment to everyone. Pat will have to sit down with his selectors and his squad and report to the management committee and county committee and we’ll take it from there. We would expect him to stay on, absolutely. He was appointed for a two-year term so Pat will be there at the helm in 2010.”