FOOTBALL LOSES ANOTHER SPONSOR

Already dealing with the loss of two sponsors, Scottish football lost another when Halifax Bank of Scotland announced it would not renew its deal with the country’s Premiere League.

The bank is also a major creditor for the league’s clubs, but a bank spokesman said the deal would not have any affect on those deals.

“We're bankers and our job is to support our clients,” Shane O’Riordain, the general manager of group communications, told BBC Sport. “We're very pleased with the progress clubs have made with their finances, so you shouldn't read too much into that.” He explained: “Having sponsored the SPL from the beginning, we feel the time is right for another partner to come on board.”

Last month, the Scottish Football League announced that whiskey distiller Bell’s was dropping its sponsorship of First, Second and Third divisions, along with its sponsorship of the Challenge Cup. Also, supermarket chain Morrison’s ended its association with the Scottish national team.

Co-Operative Insurance is the only major sponsor of Scottish football, having pledged its support to sponsor the League Cup.

The loss of corporate support worries Labour MP Jim Sheridan, chairman of the all-party Scottish football group at Westminster. He said he was concerned about having enough funds to support the country’s youth football programs.

Sheridan also voiced concerns that falling TV ratings might be a result of the pay-TV system in place. The Scottish Premiere League (SPL) replaced the BBC and Sky with Setanta. But O’Riordain dismissed those concerns.

“Setanta have been very professional and we have been pleased with the uptake of subscriptions and attendances at SPL games,” O’Riordain said.

He went on to say that his bank would continue to back Scottish football, with the announcement of a GBP 1.5 million investment in the grassroots game. “By the end of the 2006-07 season, (Bank of Scotland) will have invested more than GBP 17 million in the SPL over almost a decade.”

SPL executive chairman Lex Gold said the league is "extremely healthy" and that the bank will help the SPL find a new sponsor. He added: “We are delighted with the support that Bank of Scotland has given us since the launch of the Premier League…Bank of Scotland's increased commitment to grassroots football will enable over 140,000 young people to hone their footballing skills.”