Reading have announced their latest sponsor, Carabao. The Thailand-based energy drinks company are apparently well-established and hope that this deal with Reading will increase their exposure in the UK.
The official site announced the news with the following:
Mr. Sathien Sethasit, Chairman of the Board, Carabao Group Public Company Limited said: "Thailand is the country where energy drinks originated and Carabao is the fastest growing brand of energy drink there. As well as being determined to become the market leader in Thailand and neighbouring countries, we have always hoped to introduce ourselves to the UK and EU markets.
"We are delighted to become a strategic sponsor of Reading Football Club. With our products and brand strength, together with Reading’s ambitious management team, we believe this will be a hugely successful partnership. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Reading Football Club’s fans for all the support from this point onwards."
Adam Benson, Head of Commercial Sales at Reading Football Club, said: "We are delighted that a brand of Carabao’s stature have agreed to become our new home shirt sponsor. We’re looking forward to working closely with them in the months and years ahead."
The introduction of Carabao to a UK audience will initially be based around the company’s energy drink and a lighter pre-sports drink.
Carabao are also planning to launch further products, with some aimed at a younger market, but until the range has been developed the club and Carabao have mutually agreed that Reading’s youth team home shirt and junior replica kit for retail will not include the Carabao branding.
As part of a unique agreement for the club, Reading FC will have a separate sponsor for the away shirt and further details will be announced shortly.
Waitrose, the club’s main shirt sponsors for the last seven seasons, are set to continue as a valued partner of the club, with discussions regarding a significant new deal at an advanced stage.
No, not a new signing, but a fresh sponsor. It's safe to say Reading fans haven't taken the news as well as the higher-ups had hoped.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The negativity of being negative is so negative. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/readingfc?src=hash">#readingfc</a> <a href="http://t.co/4hc7ktZmdT">pic.twitter.com/4hc7ktZmdT</a></p>— Royal Hoops (@RoyalHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalHoops/status/613023510437449728">June 22, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Carabao Dang (the full title of the company) translated means "red buffalo", so fans will hope that the latest shirt sponsor is the beginning of a process that sees the Royals fly high next season, rather than stomp around the bottom.
Another piece of trivia for you: the founder of the company is rock star, Yuenyong Opakul—lead singer of, yes, you guessed it, Carabao the band. We're sensing a theme here.
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