Shirt Sponsorship agreed.

Thank you all for the many emails that I have recieved, I did not have an easy decision to make, as all seemed very credible and worthy of funding.

I have decided to sponsor Portico Vine U13 this year, after recieving a very heart felt email from one of the coaches.

I have spoken today to the coach and Club Secretary and I am planning to meet up to watch a match over the next couple of weeks.

I hope this is the start of a long term sponsorship deal that will over three years, see Motyoucar.com sponsor Portico Vine at all age groups. I will in the summer hold a fund raising campaign here in the Scottish Borders where Rugby is paramount, to raise all funds needed for the club to cover all expenses for the season.

This combined with any potential commisions the club will recieve from Motyourcar.com and other Utmost Affinity partners, will hopefully ease the burden for the club long term.

I wish Portico Vine all the best for the current season and cannot wait to build our relationship for the start of next season.

On this note I urge all other Affinity Partners to do the same, these clubs need your help, I understand times are hard and will be for sometime, yet we all know we will all pull through these bad times, and what a better way than through the affinity partnership. Dig in your pockets, £1000 goes a long way for these clubs.

Thanks

David Extance
Propreitor
Motyourcar.com Group

great work Dave,

I have known Dave for quite a while, and Indeed introduced him to Utmost.

I think, if we didn't reign him in, he may have sponsored everyone who approached him!

I believe the youngsters involved were wearing hand me down shirts that were two sizes too big for them!



There should be more offers like this soon, not neccessarily kit sponsors, but other forms of financial aid as well.

Keep your eyes peeled for other such offers.

Lee

Well done motyourcar.com Group and well done Portico.

Excellent news and a huge and genuine thank you to David for his sponsorship of grassroots youth/junior rugby (irrespective of which area/region or district he'd selected).

Portico Vine U13's although new to our particular age-group have quickly established themselves as one of the "teams to watch" in their division and we've heard nothing but glowing reports about them ... I'm sure they'll do you proud.

David, if you wish to keep up to date with their progess we do post all their fixtures, results and League tables on our website (www.nwc13-15arl.co.uk) - feel free to pay a visit and we hope that your partnership with them is a long and happy one. If you get any photographs to tie in with the news we'll be more than happy to post them and a feature on your sponsorship of them on the site too to hopefully raise their profile higher still.

Once again, on behalf of everyone involved in youth/junior rugby, thank you for supporting these youngsters.

Sam Armstrong wrote:Excellent news and a huge and genuine thank you to David for his sponsorship of grassroots youth/junior rugby (irrespective of which area/region or district he'd selected).

Portico Vine U13's although new to our particular age-group have quickly established themselves as one of the "teams to watch" in their division and we've heard nothing but glowing reports about them ... I'm sure they'll do you proud.

David, if you wish to keep up to date with their progess we do post all their fixtures, results and League tables on our website (www.nwc13-15arl.co.uk) - feel free to pay a visit and we hope that your partnership with them is a long and happy one. If you get any photographs to tie in with the news we'll be more than happy to post them and a feature on your sponsorship of them on the site too to hopefully raise their profile higher still.

Once again, on behalf of everyone involved in youth/junior rugby, thank you for supporting these youngsters.

But apart from the aquaducts, the sewers, law and order, the roads etc etc..

what have the romans done for us?

Admin wrote:But apart from the aquaducts, the sewers, law and order, the roads etc etc.. what have the romans done for us?

Never too proud to admit when I have got something wrong, though not actually "wrong" in this instance, I do admit that I did rather underestimate the potential of sponsorship from the Utmost group and it's Associates and am frankly, under these circumstances when someone invests in the future of our great game, delighted to be have been firmly put in my place!!

Please feel free to put me in my place in this same fashion as many times as you like!!!

Sam,

on a more serious note..

this is exactly one of the reasons, we wanted the forum, and to start to attract as many of the BARLA member clubs to it as possible. The more clubs and posters we can attract and general interest in the affinity group, more and more of the companies we are talking to will want their name scrolling in the box above the home index, have their own thread and want to become full partners...

You were at the meeting when seabrooke attended, so have an idea of what we've got planned alongside BARLA.

The whole concept of us bringing as many partners into the game as possible, is all part of the plan that BARLA and Utmost conceived to help make the clubs stand on their own two feets financially. Of course the companies have a vested interest to get a return on their sponsorship, but would you rather the money they spend on advertising go towards improving club facilities/supplying a new kit for the youth teams, or on a short radio/ newspaper add campaign?

If this works out the way we intend, ALL of the BARLA member clubs will notice a significant difference in their income streams and be able to provide the equipment and facilities they aspire to.

What does concern me, is that potential partners may come onto this forum(which we want to be the central hub, where they are introduced to the BARLA clubs), and be put off by the apparant division and negativity that is currently being directed towards BARLA. This is why I am so concerned with the general good manners and ettiquette of the users of this forum.

If bickering and in-fighting threads are all thats on display, it isn't a good flagship for the clubs, which I'm sure you'll agree should be a top priority for both BARLA and the Leagues. Without the clubs there is no game, and nowhere for the youngsters to play competively. This is why I am continuing to urge everyone to be constructive in their dialogue and criticisms.

Your team's kit sponsor for the next 3 years could be the next guest to log on...


As you say, there is no such free as a free meal, but if we can make all of your meals cheaper, and give your club a sausage and a few peas from all the other plates (stay with me, this makes sense in my head) then your clubs plate has a lot more on it than a meal bought elsewhere for more money. At the end of the day, you've got to buy lunch regardless..

anyway, I'm hungry now....

Lee we echo your sentiments ,we have asked for nearly three years to solve our issues with the Board,only to be told they will not meet with us because of our member status ( inflicted on us )

I am currently in negotiations with a major Blue Chip company who are looking to sponsor the 8-12,s web-site and administration,something the 13-15,s have already done.

Any sponsorship is a great boost to the grass roots of the support and well done to all concerned.

But please do not try to gag us so to speak ,we will achive sponsorships for our clubs and players irrespective of being members of BARLA.
Companies are not interested in politics they just want to help get players on the field irrespective of age and gender.

A lot can be acheived by the Chair, convene meetings start with an open mind and find some common ground to get us all back singing from the same hymm sheet which deep down thats all we want.

The BOARD have an opportunity to get us back to-gether ,now is the time to put up or shut up before the association fragments and disappears.

mick doyle wrote:Lee we echo your sentiments ,we have asked for nearly three years to solve our issues with the Board,only to be told they will not meet with us because of our member status ( inflicted on us )

I am currently in negotiations with a major Blue Chip company who are looking to sponsor the 8-12,s web-site and administration,something the 13-15,s have already done.

Any sponsorship is a great boost to the grass roots of the support and well done to all concerned.

But please do not try to gag us so to speak ,we will achive sponsorships for our clubs and players irrespective of being members of BARLA.
Companies are not interested in politics they just want to help get players on the field irrespective of age and gender.

A lot can be acheived by the Chair, convene meetings start with an open mind and find some common ground to get us all back singing from the same hymm sheet which deep down thats all we want.

The BOARD have an opportunity to get us back to-gether ,now is the time to put up or shut up before the association fragments and disappears.

Mick,

I'm certainly not trying to gag anyone about saying anything, as I've said all along, it's simply the manner that things are discussed, thats all I'm asking for. I'd hate to see the board of management get spooked by the content and dialogue on here, and pull what we are trying to achieve. That will not help the clubs one iota.

I agree that companies are not interested in internal politics, but please appreciate that we want to use this forum as a hub to attract such companies, and therefore present a good image when we show them what we are doing with this site. Remember we (utmost) also have a reputation to maintain. Again, I have to re-iterate, this is not an independent forum, and therefore will have stricter moderation than other sites you may be used to.


As regard to finding sponsorship, I understand that the clubs are still BARLA members regardless of the status of the league membership, (you'll have to bear with me, as I'm trying to understand the mechanics of it all) so there should be no geographical concern as to what clubs the affinity members can sponsor, as long as the clubs are BARLA members. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the position where we have to instruct affinity members to only sponsor clubs from certain leagues, and we don't don't want to step on anyones toes, so if there is a problem with us finding sponsorships for clubs in your league, then please let us know.

Of course, the arrangement we(utmost) have is tied to BARLA and the whole concept of the Affinity group was conceived in conjuction with the board of management., and it is to assist the BARLA clubs and full member leagues. So as outsiders looking in (so to speak) our understanding is that the clubs are members of BARLA, but the league isn't. From our perspective this is a messy situation, and one we are trying to get our heads around, but we'll persevere!

As far as I can see, any benefits that we can bring to the BARLA clubs (in whatever league) should be a positive thing, and we certainly don't want to get into a contest with your own endeavours.

It's dead simple really, leagues became associate members because a payment was late and then BARLA refused to accept the payment and allow the League to renew as full members.

BARLA then took a vote at management level to discommunicate associate members and to no longer allow them a vote.

The general feeling among clubs is that BARLA offer absolutely nothing to Junior rugby and are only interested in open age, BARLA need to do something to remove that feeling.

Please get everyone sat back around the table and start working for your members instead of against them as it appears that you are doing at the moment.

geordie wrote:It's dead simple really, leagues became associate members because a payment was late and then BARLA refused to accept the payment and allow the League to renew as full members.

BARLA then took a vote at management level to discommunicate associate members and to no longer allow them a vote.

The general feeling among clubs is that BARLA offer absolutely nothing to Junior rugby and are only interested in open age, BARLA need to do something to remove that feeling.

Please get everyone sat back around the table and start working for your members instead of against them as it appears that you are doing at the moment.

Maybe a thread where a BARLA initiative has brought in a kit sponsor to an u13 team in the NWC, isn't the best place to say they offer absolutely nothing!

Surely you dont think that a business that is involved with BARLA as a means of advertising and promoting their business sponsoring a team will make the basic lack of support from barla to it's youth members over the last couple of years go away.

What exactly do BARLA offer to it's junior members other than insurance and 2 cup competitions at 14s and 16s?

Maybe this isn't the correct topic to ask a question like that but it is a pertinent question all the same.

geordie wrote:Surely you dont think that a business that is involved with BARLA as a means of advertising and promoting their business sponsoring a team will make the basic lack of support from barla to it's youth members over the last couple of years go away.

What exactly do BARLA offer to it's junior members other than insurance and 2 cup competitions at 14s and 16s?

Maybe this isn't the correct topic to ask a question like that but it is a pertinent question all the same.

My reply was very much tongue in cheek, there is another thread in the "BARLA chat" section where this is already being covered in depth.

Lee,

Thanks to everyone who has congratulated us at Portico. I told the lads after our game yesterday and they was delighted and can't wait to meet Dave. Thanks to Sam for his kind comments about us being one of the "teams to watch". We at Portico want to thank Dave for this opportunity to represent our club with pride and passion and hope to have a long standing relationship with him.

I would once again like to thank you all for your replies.


As I have stated I am not keen on the politics that are surrounding this forum, I would like to echo Nalz @ Portico's post.

• This is about kids having fun first and foremost.
  

• For them to build in confidence
  

• As a sponsor to the club, I would like to see the club be succesful in all endevours, yet if "we" lose week in week out then so be it, at least the kids have had a good work out.
  

• Success breeds confidence and vice versa, and that is forefront in my sponsorship, to build confidence in the youngsters.
  

As I have stated this will be a three year sponsorship to start, and we can hopefully progress after then to include all ages of Portico Vine.

I would also like to thank Naylz for his email, and kind words, I look forward to meeting up shortly for a match, and that much promised pint.