West Ham United will play without a sponsor on their shirts for the second time in six years when travel firm XL collapsed in 2008. That season, while wearing Umbro, West Ham used squad numbers on the front of their shirts before SBOBET took over the spot.
West Ham go sponsorless after Alpari shut up shop
The Hammers will still wear Alpari’s logo on their shirts against Hull City despite being owed a reported £750,000 as part of the sponsorship deal following the company’s move to enter insolvency.
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West Ham United first went into business with Alpari back in 2011 but it wasn’t until the start of the 2013/14 season that a new deal was signed that saw the currency broker become the Hammers’ shirt sponsor for three seasons. Well, that was the plan anyway with Alpari paying West Ham a reported £3 million per year for the privilege until the end of the 2015/16 season.
Alpari UK entered insolvency late last week after the Swiss National Bank’s decision to stop capping the Swiss franc against the Euro, which created “exceptional volatility and extreme lack of liquidity,” per a statement on the broker’s website.
In a separate statement on their website, West Ham United said:
West Ham United has enjoyed a good working relationship with Alpari (UK) Limited since 2011 and is therefore saddened by today’s news that it has entered into insolvency. The Club would like to offer its sympathies to any Alpari staff affected by the announcement, particularly those that have worked closely with us over the past few years.
The Hammers also added that “the club has received huge interest and is already in advanced discussions with potential new shirt sponsors for next year.” Whether another sponsor will come in before season’s end remains to be seen although West Ham should be confident given their position in the league table.
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