Woodforde’s Brewery is situated just eight miles from Carrow Road, and the yellow and green sign painted above the Barclay reads ‘Born in Norfolk’. That combination between boasting a recognisable brand coupled with it’s local pride and heart makes this a fitting arrangement for both parties.
The new partnership will see Norfolk-born legend Lord Nelson adorning the Barclay Stand at the Carrow Road and various other embellishments will be visible inside the concourses and lounges at the stadium.
The stand will retain it’s iconic name, but under the new agreement, will be referred to as ‘The Barclay Stand sponsored by Woodforde’s’. The branding on the stand will be reflective of Norwich City’s infamous yellow and green, capturing a famous colour scheme in Norfolk.
James Hughes, Chief Executive Officer at Woodforde’s Brewery talks to Connor Southwell and MyFootballWriter’s Jack Goddard about his company’s decision to sponsor the Barclay.
Woodforde’s have even changed their company colours to align with that of the football club, a decision which Chief Executive Officer James Hughes spoke to TalkNorwichCity about, “You don’t take these decisions lightly, but it really was a natural decision for us.”
“It’s a really natural partnership for us, our brewery is eight miles down the road from here. We’ve always been about Norwich and Norfolk, all our beers are named after boats on the broads and we just thought it was a really natural thing to do” – James Hughes
“The fans love our beer and we love the fans”.
“After talking to the club about what we wanted to do, and how we wanted it to look, we wanted it to be a real connection with the fans, not just a banner advertising”.
Head of TalkNorwichCity.com Connor Southwell and MyFootballWriter’s Jack Goddard speak to Norwich City Commercial Director Ben Kensell about the new, long term partnership for Woodforde’s Brewery to sponsor the Barclay Stand.
Hughes added “This is about the fans and the club but also about what we do. Hopefully that gets represented on the pitch and we have a great season!”
Norwich were forced to look for a new sponsor after contractual arrangements with the clubs principal partner LeoVegas meant their arrangement with Coral had to come to an end.
Commerical Director Ben Kensell highlighted the importance of this deal from the football clubs point of view.
“During the close season, it’s always an incredibly busy time for a club commercially, when it tries to generate as much revenue as it can to help support the first team, Daniel [Farke] and Stuart [Webber] to both play and buy new players.”
“We’re delighted to get such a locally based company with a national focus as well to join partnership with us. They’ve even branded themselves in our colours which is fantastic!”
Kensell added, “In one of the most vociferous and loud stands, we need that support. They believe in engagement with the fans so we’re really proud and delighted to have it. Financially, it’s really good for the football club”.
“There were a few [companies interested] that we were blessed with having options on, but this was the perfect choice. When you think about the demographic and the actual stand itself, that’s were our heartbeat is. When you look for a new stand sponsor, you look for the right mix, we’ve found that I think, local company and great beer”.
Woodforde’s have committed to some new fan initiatives and have committed themselves to reflecting the values of the club alongside embracing the Norwich City culture. Those initiatives will be announced in due course.
Supporters can only hope for more prosperity and positivity on the pitch for the forthcoming season.
