This prime space can be yours ... Con steps up hunt for Jets sponsor
SEBASTIAN HASSETT
December 11, 2009
WITH the Newcastle Jets emerging as legitimate title contenders, at least in the eyes of Con Constantine, their charismatic chairman has voiced his belief it's time the club secured a much-needed major sponsor.
The Jets have suffered a troublesome period with sponsors ever since they joined the A-League, but this season has been their least fruitful. Prime space on the club's jersey is still vacant after it failed to find a sponsor to replace Centrebet, which withdrew its support at the end of last season.
The online betting agency had been keen to continue but was stung when it learned its logo could not adorn the Newcastle strip in Asian Champions League matches or when the club plays in New Zealand due to anti-gambling regulations.
Compounding the problem was Newcastle's fall from champions to wooden-spooners and the mass exodus of their most recognisable talent, including coach Gary van Egmond. But after a slow start this season under Branko Culina, the Jets have sprung to life at the right time, playing some highly attractive football along the way.
Now Constantine wants to find a corporate backer keen to capitalise on his side's soaring stock.
''We are playing some brilliant football at the moment,'' he said yesterday. ''People are talking about us everywhere and that's fantastic for the club.
''But it's not so good to see an empty shirt without a major sponsor. With the finals approaching and the team starting to win games, we're going to get more and more exposure and that could hugely benefit many different companies.
''We're hoping they will be thinking, 'Newcastle play great football, we're a great brand, let's get together'. Well, now is the right time for them to do that. Besides, while the other teams are good, I think we're getting a bit better.''
Constantine admitted that being without a major sponsor had significantly hurt the club's bottom line.
''It's not because we're not trying and certainly it's not because we're playing badly. We know it's a risk but somebody smart will see that we're going to get to the next level. There's also credibility at stake. A club with a major sponsor looks like a club that's got their act together, which we do. It's just frustrating because it would add a lot to a club that means so much to this community.''
Such a sales pitch couldn't be put together if Constantine's team was underperforming, a nasty habit that overwhelmed the club in the past 18 months. But with results finally starting to go their way, the chairman knows it's not just the players who deserve the accolades.
''You want my honest opinion? Branko Culina will soon be regarded as one of the best coaches in Australia, if he isn't already. He has absolute quality in everything he does and knows the game so well because he loves it so much. He's always trying to get the best from himself and the players and that's why I gave him the job. Now you can see the players are responding.''
The Jets still might be closer to the bottom of the table than the top but Constantine is confident his side will come home with a wet sail and sees them as a real chance of going all the way this season.
''With the way we're going I think we can make the grand final,'' he said. ''If we win our next two games, we could be in the top four and from there, anything can happen. We've been there before - we've only missed the finals once - so we know what it takes.
''The feeling around the club at the moment is fantastic. You can really feel it building.''
However, it's not all good news in the Hunter with Constantine facing a huge battle in the coming weeks to convince the likes of Fabio Vignaroli, Ljubo Milicevic and Joel Griffiths to stay with the club.
While Milicevic and Griffiths look likely to head to Melbourne Heart and Beijing Guoan respectively, Vignaroli's future could be settled as soon as today after football director Remo Nogarotto, who has been charged with overseeing the Vignaroli negotiations, arrived back in Australia this week. The talented Italian midfielder is keen to stay in Newcastle but it appears he will have to accept a vastly reduced contract after an injury-hit first season.