Dafabet has confirmed it is to end its sponsorship of the Welsh Premier League at the end of the 2016/17 season.
The brand has been the headline sponsor of the league for the last two seasons, but has decided to step down after the conclusion of the upcoming Europa League play-offs.
Commenting on the news, Football Association of Wales’ Head of Commercial & Marketing, Ian Davis told the league’s official website: “Dafabet have been a valued partner of the Welsh Premier League, and we would like to thank Dafabet for their belief and investment in the WPL for the last two seasons.
“The success of the Welsh Premier League on and off the pitch over recent seasons has become evident and Dafabet has helped us grow the WPL brand. We’ve grown from strength to strength not only due to the valuable partnerships we’ve created but also in our marketing & communications strategy, along with our clubs improved results in European competitions.”
Despite its decision, Dafabet insists it has enjoyed its time working with domestic Welsh football’s top flight, with Head of Sponsorships John Cruces, adding: “As Title Sponsor of the WPL, we would like to thank the WPL for their professionalism and commitment to maximising our sponsorship rights during the past two seasons.
“We remain committed to supporting Welsh football through our partnership with the FAW and will continue to support the WPL as football fans.”
A headline sponsor for the 2017/18 season has yet to be announced, but the WPL says it will benefit from a new television deal with long-term broadcast partner S4C and an improved deal with official ball supplier Mitre.
It added that there were also several other projects in the pipeline, including a centralised online ticketing platform and a streaming service to bring matches outside of the UK to the international market.
Image Credit: Brian Jones/@tnsfootball1
Eric Hall
And quite right too.
It’s totally disgraceful having betting companies involved in the WPL, especially after the “incidents” of a couple of years ago.
What kind of example is this to set for young fans?