Liverpool announce new sponsorship deal

Standard Chartered bank have agreed a four-year deal to become the main sponsor of Liverpool FC.

The deal is the biggest commercial agreement in Liverpool's history and will initially run from July 2010 until the end of the 2013/14 season.

The Standard Chartered bank logo will appear on Liverpool's shirts, replacing that of brewers Carlsberg who have been the principal sponsors of the club for 17 years.

Reports have suggested that the deal is worth in the region of £80 million, with both parties hoping the partnership will raise their brand awareness worldwide.

The bank earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with Liverpool's popularity also on the increase in these regions.

Christian Purslow, managing director of Liverpool, believes that the agreement represents a fantastic deal for both parties.

'This partnership brings together two highly successful organisations with a really strong cultural and strategic fit,' he said.

'The sponsorship opportunity attracted a huge level of interest from a wide array of globally recognised brands and in Standard Chartered we believe we have the ideal partner to move forward and help develop our global ambitions for the club,

'It is a real sign of the progress we have made at Liverpool that we have been able to secure the largest ever commercial deal in our history.'