SPONSORSHIP NEWS:DUBLIN COUNTY Board is set to move quickly to replace long-standing jersey sponsors Arnotts, whose withdrawal from an 18-year association with the county's GAA was formally confirmed yesterday.

News that the famous department store was about to terminate its sponsorship had leaked out in the past week.

Whereas moves are under way to find a replacement as soon as possible, the current deal will not expire until November. It is estimated that the new sponsors could be announced as early as next month.

The sponsorship, which covers senior county teams, is one of the most lucrative in the country and the most high-profile.

According to former Dublin footballer Michael O’Keeffe, who is sponsorship consultant with Pembroke Communications, the timing is not ideal, but an association with Dublin remains attractive.

“It isn’t exactly the best time for Dublin GAA to be without a sponsor in the current financial environment which sees potential sponsors unlikely to be in a position to spend the money that would be required to pay for this kind of sponsorship and then leverage it.

“You must also take into consideration that several major big spending potential sponsors, such as Vodafone, Toyota and Ulster Bank, are already tied into major contracts with the GAA and the multi-sponsor model that was put in place last year.

“In saying that, Dublin GAA is still a hugely attractive property, and despite the rumoured €750,000-plus asking price, I am pretty sure there will be a number of keen suitors. I would be very surprised if a deal was not agreed before the end of the current Championship campaign, even if the Dublin County Board will be looking for a long-term commitment and a minimum of a five-year deal.

“The Dublin GAA deal is one of the biggest sports sponsorships in the country in any code, due mainly to the mass media coverage associated with the Dublin football team and the large support base that particular team has.

“The recent successes of the hurlers and the potential they have also add to the attraction.”

Dublin’s arrangement with Arnotts goes back to the introduction of jersey sponsorship to the GAA. At the congress of 1991, a motion – co-incidentally proposed by Dublin and opposed by among others the late Jack Mahon of Galway and Cork county secretary Frank Murphy – to allow the wearing of sponsors’ logos on county jerseys was passed.

Arnotts took over that summer in the middle of one of football’s most famous sagas, the four-match series between Dublin and Meath, and have remained there until now.

Yesterday’s statement released by the county’s chief executive, John Costello, acknowledged the long association.

“Arnotts have informed the Dublin GAA Board that they will not be continuing with the sponsorship of our intercounty teams with effect from November 1st, 2009. We have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Arnotts, a relationship that we believe has been mutually beneficial to both parties.

“I know Arnotts have not taken the decision to bring their sponsorship to an end lightly and I would like to thank them for their wonderful support, generosity and courtesy since 1991.

“The success and longevity of our relationship with Arnotts is a tribute to their understanding and commitment to the Dublin GAA brand over the years.

“We are now in the process of seeking new sponsors and will consult with a number of companies that have expressed an interest in the recent past.”

The value of the sponsorship to Dublin was enhanced by a royalty agreement that paid a percentage on all jersey sales in the department store, which had an official county merchandising section, to the county board. In return, the company got the exposure of all photography, television and print media coverage devoted to the team.

Dublin attracts enormous media attention. Nearly all of the county’s championship matches are televised live and at least a couple of the league fixtures. As O’Keeffe mentioned, the increasing prominence of the county’s hurlers has meant the likely broadcast of one of their matches each summer.

On top of that is the sheer population of the city and the mass support the county team attracts. The “walking billboard” phenomenon is pronounced, with estimates that Dublin accounts for roughly one in every four replica jersey sales.

There were also incidentals, such as prominence on the Hill 16 website and high-visibility signage facing the camera points at Parnell Park.

The sponsorship includes the minors and under-21s and that makes alcohol companies unlikely partners with the county board.

It is, however, the one county sponsorship that would be attractive to an established multi-national corporation, as the exposure of the county makes it a high-visibility link-up.