With the recent introduction of shirt-sleeve sponsorship, Premier League footballers moved a step closer to being clad from head to toe in commercial logos akin to a racing driver.
But commercialisation in football is not a new concept - the first British club to take a main shirt sponsor happened way back in 1976. Surprisingly, that club was not one of the big boys but lowly Kettering Town, then of the Southern League, who signed a deal with Kettering Tyres.
Kit sponsorship has gathered pace ever since, and many fans look at their sponsors with fondness - so who said advertising doesn't work? Yet some of the sponsors from the not too distant past now tell stories of very different times.
Here's how the main sponsors of the Premier League's biggest teams has changed, becoming almost integral to some classic kits and in some cases almost synonymous with the club.
Arsenal
JVC (1981-1999)
Arsenal had already been with JVC for 11 years before they first featured on a Premier League kit and they would remain for a further seven in one of the country's longest ever sponsorship deals.
The Japanese electronics manufacture featured on the Gunners 'Marmite' away kit from 1992-93 but stuck around long enough to feature on the chest of Arsene Wenger's double winners of 1997-98.
JVC featured on Arsenal shirts including Ian Wright (left) and Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal secured the Premier League title in a league and cup double in the 1997-98 season
Sega Dreamcast (1999-2002)
Sega were next to pump money into the Gunners, as they captured the start of Thierry Henry's rapid rise at the club with a kit deal that saw home shirts branded with the short-lived games console 'Dreamcast' and away shirts with its makers, Sega (aside from a third kit in 2002-03 that also had Dreamcast).
Like the games console, dreams soon made way for nightmares after Arsenal's first year in association with Sega saw them suffer a penalty-shootout defeat by Galatasaray in the final of the UEFA Cup.
Unlike the games console, this deal had a happy ending. Sylvain Wiltord's winner at Old Trafford helped Arsenal win the Premier League and eventually the double in 2002.
Davor Suker reacts after Arsenal's defeat by Galatasaray in the 2000 UEFA Cup final
Arsenal won a second Premier League title at Old Trafford in 2002 with Sega-sponsored kits
That led to an FA Cup final where victory over Chelsea saw Dreamcast bow out with double joy
02 (2002 - 2006)
For a team that communicated with each other so well within this period, it seemed apt that Arsenal during this time were sponsored by a mobile phone service-provider.
These four remarkable years saw the 'Invincibles' go undefeated during the 2003-04 campaign, while also bringing the curtain down on Highbury with the fondly remembered claret shirt.
However 02 departed on a sad note as the Gunners suffered defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League final in Paris.
Arsenal went undefeated in the 2003-04 season, winning the league at rivals Tottenham
Thierry Henry celebrates scoring against Wigan Athletic in the final ever game at Highbury
But despite the period of success, O2 signed off with a loss in the Champions League final
Fly Emirates (2006 - present)
It's not quite JVC levels yet but considering Arsenal's ground is named the Emirates Stadium, this sponsorship deal has a fair chance of eventually becoming the Gunners' longest ever.
A new £200m package agreed earlier this year will see them match JVC's 18-year tenure as the new deal runs until 2024.
Unfortunately for the airline, they flew in too late to catch the glory years of Wenger and had to wait until 2014 eventually to see the Gunners win something in the form of the FA Cup. Two more pots followed under Wenger but can Unai Emery turn them back into title contenders?
Arsenal's FA Cup triumph in 2017 saw Fly Emirates get prominence during a moment of glory
Chelsea
Commodore and Amiga (1987-1994)
Chelsea's early years in the Premier League often saw them scrapping around in mid-table with very little to play for.
Shirt sponsorship at this time was by failing computer manufacturer Commodore (1992-93) and then their outdated computer, the Amiga (1993-94).
Commodore went bankrupt shortly before their deal with the Blues ended, with their final game rather fittingly ending with a 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup final by Manchester United.
Glenn Hoddle (left) and Dennis Wise featured in Chelsea's Commodore and Amiga shirts
Coors (1994-1997)
Coors' sponsorship deal with Chelsea came just too soon to allow 'ice-cold' Jean-Claude van Damme to strengthen their midfield. But with this sponsor the Blues' fortunes started to pick up on the field once Ruud Gullit took over as manager.
Signings including the great Dutchman, Gianfranco Zola, Mark Hughes and Roberto Di Matteo helped turn Chelsea into a far more competitive team and the sponsorship deal concluded with an FA Cup final win over Middlesbrough.
Sadly though for Coors, it is their name that is splattered over the front of one of Chelsea's worst ever kits. Even in the fashion carefree world of the 1990s, that orange and grey away strip used from 1994-1996 was an eyesore.
Roberto Di Matteo helped Chelsea win the 1997 FA Cup while Hoddle is seen in action wearing the orange and grey away strip featuring Coors' brand during his stint as player/manager
Autoglass (1997-2001)
Fragile by name but Chelsea were anything but during their association with the vehicle windscreen repairer.
The first season saw them win the League Cup and the Cup-Winners' Cup, the second resulting in their first ever qualification for the Champions League, while the third saw the FA Cup won again in the last ever final played at the old Wembley.
A notable debut in this period contained a certain future 'captain, leader, legend' in John Terry.
Gianluca Vialli wheels away after netting in the snow against Tromso during Chelsea's successful Cup Winners' Cup campaign in 1998, wearing an Autoglass-sponsored shirt
Di Matteo (left) scored the winner as Chelsea won the last FA Cup final ever to be played at the old Wembley when they defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in May 2000
Fly Emirates (2001-2005)
Before nailing their allegiance to the red part of London, Fly Emirates featured for four years at Chelsea.
Despite the signing of Frank Lampard, trophy success dried up in the first couple of seasons as finances took a nosedive, but then Roman Abramovich came in and within two years had bankrolled them a first league title in 50 years.
Frank Lampard was one of Chelsea's first buys after Fly Emirates started sponsoring the club
Arjen Robben (left) and Damien Duff played major roles in the 2004-05 Premier League win
Samsung (2005-2015)
Are Samsung the king of smartphones? A debate for another day away from these pages but they certainly looked like winners during a trophy-laden decade with the Blues.
Three more league titles, four FA Cups, two League Cup wins, a Europa League triumph and of course the greatest night in the club's history when they lifted the Champions League trophy.
From Didier Drogba to Eden Hazard, many Chelsea legends were made during this period.
Didier Drogba celebrates after helping Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012
Yokohama Tyres (2015- present)
In a deal worth £40million a year, Yokohama tyres took over from Samsung. Chelsea though soon skidded off the road to success as they suffered the worst ever Premier League title defence by finishing 10th.
The Blues found their grip again a year later by regaining the league crown in Terry's final season. Although they then missed out on the Champions League for this campaign, they did win the FA Cup again in May.
John Terry bowed out of Chelsea winning the Premier League under Antonio Conte in 2017
LIVERPOOL
Carlsberg (1992-2010)
Probably the best sponsors in the world? They certainly are the longest-running sponsorship deal of all time within the Premier League, at 18 years.
When Carlsberg started this association they would not have been too demanding to expect a league title from England's most successful club. It never came, but the trophies did arrive in other forms, notably the cup treble of 2001 consisting of the FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Cup... and of course that incredible night in Istanbul when they collected a fifth Champions League triumph.
Fernando Torres and Robbie Fowler were key Liverpool strikers to wear Carlsberg shirts
Michael Owen (left), Sami Hyypia (second left), Jamie Redknapp (centre) and Fowler celebrate Liverpool's 2001 FA Cup win over Arsenal in a yellow kit that will live long in fans' memories
Steven Gerrard kisses his winners' medal following Liverpool's 2005 Champions League win
Standard Chartered (2010-present)
Unless you had been watching Tottenham Hotspur's pre-season friendlies in the Peace Cup of 2005, Standard Chartered were a far less familiar name to football fans than the departing Carlsberg.
Although just the one League Cup has followed in this time, it has not stopped the finance company from twice extending their deal, which at £30m per season runs out next summer.
Club legends Gerrard and Carragher have departed during this time but Anfield has seen the sparkle of Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah - despite some really dodgy away strips in this period.
Standard Chartered will hope Mohamed Salah (left) fires Liverpool towards trophy success, while Luis Suarez was another key Liverpool players under their sponsorship
MANCHESTER CITY
Brother (1987 - 1999)
This printer supplier could not copy the success of neighbours Manchester United down the road throughout the 1990s.
After a couple of years of struggle, City were relegated from the Premier League in 1996, before again suffering demotion to the third tier two years later.
Although this is a gloomy period for City fans, they were not without key players, with Georgi Kinkladze and Uwe Rosler among fan favourites from this era.
Georgi Kinkladze (left) and Uwe Rosler were among Manchester City's 1990s top-flight stars
Eidos (1999-2002)
City regained promotion to the Premier League in 2000 but lasted just one season before being relegated again.
By now they were being sponsored by video game publisher Eidos in a forgettable campaign.
It was not without incident though as this was the year that Alf Inge Haaland fell victim to that Roy Keane reducer. Oh and City released a snazzy away kit.
Alf Inge Haaland's (left) Manchester City career effectively came to end during the 2000-01 season while Paul Ritchie features in the club's Eidos-sponsored away kit that campaign
First Advice (2002-2004)
City bounced back to the Premier League in 2002 where they have remained ever since.
Financial and legal services group First Advice injected £5m into the club and it helped them to sign Nicolas Anelka from Paris Saint-Germain.
Now under control of Kevin Keegan, they retained top-flight status comfortably thanks in large to goals from Anelka and Shaun Goater who were both on target in the last ever Manchester derby played at Maine Road in 2003 when they saw off United 3-1.
Nicolas Anelka helped City beat United in the final Manchester derby at Maine Road in 2003
Thomas Cook (2004-2009)
For a club sponsored by a holiday company there certainly was a fair share of arrivals and departures at the then City of Manchester Stadium. Two former England managers, Keegan and Sven Goran Eriksson, featured under three different owners, with some stability eventually coming with Sheikh Mansour, who took a controlling stake in 2008.
It was five crazy years that saw the sale and repurchase of Shaun Wright-Phillips, David James playing up front, the 8-1 annihilation at Middlesbrough and Mansour flexing his financial muscle by landing Brazil star Robinho from out of nowhere on deadline day. That deal didn't quite work out but the intent of the signing was made clear.
David James bizarrely appeared as an outfield player for Manchester City against Boro in 2005
Sheikh Mansour's Manchester City first played in Thomas Cook sponsored kit, not Etihad
Etihad Airways (2009-present)
It didn't take Sheikh Mansour long to get the Etihad brand tied up with City, and as long as he's around the promotion of the UAE isn't going to stop.
It's coming up to 10 years since City started making headway into the Premier League elite. That decade has featured Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Kevin de Bruyne.
Despite this period of staggering success, there is little doubt that the highlight was the 'Aguerooooooooo' strike in the final seconds of the 2011-12 campaign that saw them wrestle the title away from Manchester United.
Sergio Aguero scored a last gasp goal in 2012 to spark the Etihad years into life
MANCHESTER UNITED
Sharp (1982-2000)
Manchester United's long association with Sharp saw them go from top-flight chokers to treble winners during their 18 year association.
The Japanese electronics providers saw the emergence of the Class of 92, stars such as Eric Cantona and Roy Keane (among countless others) and it was all done with their logo on the United shirt.
Yet it still felt like few knew what many Sharp products were. United away kits would feature 'Sharp Viewcam' or 'Sharp Digital', but who really bought the former, and who really ever understood what the latter was supposed to be?
Not that United's away colours helped promote products during this period. Sir Alex Ferguson felt that his players couldn't see each other in that grey kit from the 1995-96 season - let alone what was written on the front.
Eric Cantona was Manchester United's key man as they dominated much of the 1990s
David Beckham and Paul Scholes show United's away kits advertising Sharp products
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole celebrate winning the Champions League in 1999
Vodafone (2000-2006)
The emergence of Arsenal's peak years under Arsene Wenger and the rise of Chelsea ensured that by the time this sponsorship deal with mobile-phone providers Vodafone concluded, United has lost contact with sustained title fights.
Ferguson was making the right calls behind the scenes though, even if selling David Beckham and replacing him with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 seemed a bit of a gamble at the time.
In the long run of course this paid off handsomely. Despite Ferguson building a new side, the club still won the league twice as well as the FA Cup and League Cup in this period once Wayne Rooney came along too.
Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrates scoring alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the Vodafone years
AIG (2006-2010)
Backed by finance and insurance company AIG, their new sponsor soon became the butt of jokes from rivals fans.
The 2007 Champions League final was to be held in Athens and after defeat by AC Milan in the semi-finals, word soon spread that the initials on their sponsor logo actually stood for 'Almost in Greece'.
But with Ronaldo starting to deliver on his early promise alongside Rooney, United soon got back to winning ways, hoovering up three consecutive Premier League titles as well as the Champions League in 2008.
Manchester United players celebrate winning the 2008 Champions League final over Chelsea
Aon (2010-2014)
It was perhaps fitting that a risk management company in Aon started to sponsor United just as Fergie finally called it a day.
Key stars such as Ronaldo were not replaced, yet despite this Ferguson still managed to win two more league titles in this period - much in part to Robin Van Persie's goals during the legendary manager's last season at the club.
Then David Moyes came in and it was one risk too far for Aon...
Robin van Persie's goals in the 2012-13 campaign earned Manchester United their 20th title
Chevrolet (2014-present)
Chevrolet are currently paying Manchester United £53m a year but United are no closer to returning to the glory days under Ferguson whether it is Moyes, Louis van Gaal or even Jose Mourinho in charge.
The FA Cup, League Cup and even the Europa League have been won in this time but Chevrolet's investment doesn't appear to be paying off, despite big names such as Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic wearing the United strip in this period.
When was the last time you saw a Corvette putting down the miles on a road near you? Not in the United Kingdom anyway.
Paul Pogba celebrates winning the Europa League with Chevrolet-sponsored United in 2017
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Holsten (1983-1995)
Tottenham Hotspur went into the Premier League as one of the 'big five clubs' hoping to battle for major honours. But perhaps they had a few too many drinks courtesy of their shirt sponsor as the first three seasons consisted of mid-table finishes and a very dangerous battle with relegation.
Still this period did see the north London club produce some tidy kits as well as the famous-five attack of Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Darren Anderton, Nicky Barmby and Ilie Dumitrescu.
No one told Ossie Ardiles his side had to stop conceding goals too but it was fun while it lasted nonetheless.
Jurgen Klinsmann starred for Tottenham Hotspur during the 1994-95 Premier League season
Hewlett Packard (1995-1999)
In an attempt to shake off the tag as sleeping giants, Spurs cut the booze and went digital as computer experts Hewlett Packard took over sponsorship.
But fortunes on the pitch hardly improved as more mid-table mediocrity followed. Only the remarkable talents of David Ginola (plus a returning Klinsmann on loan) kept them in the Premier League in 1998.
It wasn't all bad news for Spurs in the 1990s - they saw out the decade with a League Cup final win over Leicester City.
David Ginola (right) was influential at Spurs in the Hewlett-Packard years in the late 1990s
Holsten (2000-2002)
Soon enough Spurs were back on the bottle, and although they looked good again in adidas gear, the club could not make the step up from mid-table.
Sergei Rebrov failed to deliver on his record £11m arrival, while veteran Sheringham helped drag the club to a League Cup final. Not the trophy though, as they suffered a 2-1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers in Cardiff in 2002.
Sergei Rebrov and Les Ferdinand failed to land a trophy for Tottenham in the early 2000s
Thomson (2002-2006)
Not even a sponsorship deal with a holiday provider could help Spurs fans escape a bleak period at White Hart Lane. If anything the early noughties were just as bad as the late 1990s.
This time it wasn't just the poor results on the pitch, it was seeing the release of a skin-tight replica shirt with a red logo on the front. Although away strips would often see the sponsor colour change to white or blue - just never the home kit.
But after Daniel Levy chopped and changed through Glenn Hoddle, David Pleat and Jacques Santini as managers he finally stumbled upon Martin Jol, who helped bring in Edgar Davids and see Spurs achieve their then best Premier league finish of fifth.
Edgar Davids wears the unforgettable Tottenham kit of 2005, featuring the Thomson logo
Mansion (2006-2010)
Spurs fans were delighted to get rid of a red logo... only to get another one in the form of gambling company Mansion.
Jol immediately hedged their bets on Dimitar Berbatov and the striker ultimately delivered following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, forming a lethal strike partnership with Robbie Keane.
A 2008 League Cup final win over Chelsea followed before stars including Jermain Defoe helped fire them into the Champions League.
Dimitar Berbatov (left) Jermaine Jenas (centre) and Robbie Keane celebrate Tottenham's 2008 League Cup triumph over Chelsea at Wembley, the club's most recent trophy
Jermain Defoe scored five goals against Wigan in a Mansion-sponsored kit in 2009-10 season
Autonomy/Aurasma, and Investec (2010-2013)
Then Spurs got greedy - naming two sponsors to feature on their shirts over the next three seasons.
Autonomy featured during the 2010-11 campaign, with the name changed to Aurasma for the following two campaigns. Both were part of software giants HP.
Meanwhile in all cup matches, finance experts Investec featured on the Spurs jerseys and they reaped the rewards on Champions League nights as they had the joy of seeing their logo on a Gareth Bale busy booking taxis for Maicon.
Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric wore Autonomy and Aramsma kits for league games
But Gareth Bale shows off the Investec-sponsored shirts worn in the Champions League
HP (2013-14) and AIA (2013-present)
Hewlett Packard (now just HP) returned for just one season in 2013-14, with AIA used as a cup sponsor, with the life insurance company then taking over fully once Mauricio Pochettino got his hands on the club in 2014.
The red logo hated by fans may be back but since then stars like Dele Alli and Harry have emerged as key players as Tottenham have turned into big-time players in the Premier League as well as Champions League regulars.
That elusive trophy awaits for the north London club, but in the Premier League era at least they have never had it better.
Roberto Soldado wears the HP kit used in 2013, while Erik Lamela dons the AIA cup shirt
Spurs have since kicked on with Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, and AIA a permanent fixture
Link article
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/05/the-history-of-the-big-six-premier-league-clubs-sponsors/
Main photo article With the recent introduction of shirt-sleeve sponsorship, Premier League footballers moved a step closer to being clad from head to toe in commercial logos akin to a racing driver.
But commercialisation in football is not a new concept – the first British club to take a main shirt sponsor...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Sport HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/08/29/12/4F7E90F800000578-0-image-m-8_1535543215804.jpg
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