Tennent's continues discussions over sponsorship of Newco Rangers as club to enter Division Three
Lager brand Tennent's has said that it is still in discussions over the future of its sponsorship deal of Newco Rangers, after the club was voted into the fourth tier of Scottish Football yesterday.
Tennent's, which has been the main sponsor of Rangers and rival Glasgow club Celtic for the last two seasons, has indicated that it may yet continue to work with the new Rangers entity, after Rangers was liquidated in June, albeit any deal is likely to be under different conditions from the previous agreement.
The decision to allow Newco Rangers to enter Division Three was agreed by Scottish Football League clubs yesterday, after the Scottish Premier League rejected to club. The decision was made despite warnings from the governors of Scottish Football that financial meltdown awaited the game if it went through.
As a result of Newco Rangers entering Division Three, the SPL will no longer see the annual four Old Firm clashes, which were a factor in attracting Tennent's on board as sponsor of both teams, drawing a global audience of millions. The BSkyB deal with the SPL is also expected to be heavily impacted, as it was predominantly focused on broadcasting Games featuring Celtic and Rangers.
A spokesman for Tennent's told The Drum; "Tennent's is a long standing investor in, and supporter of, Scottish football, most recently as Rangers' shirt sponsor. Following yesterday's vote our position is unchanged – we continue to monitor the situation closely and our discussions with the owners with a view to continuing Tennent’s involvement with the Club are ongoing."