After almost three million visitors, six international football matches and three concerts featuring global music stars, the ten year partnership between Colchester United and Weston Homes will come to a close this summer.
In a statement released today (28th March), the club have said they have chosen not to renew the deal.
The £1.5 million, ten year sponsorship deal from the house-builder provided Weston Homes with its name and logo on the football stadium, football team kit and merchandise.
Bob Weston, Chairman/CEO of Weston Homes told Jumbo News: “We didn’t want the deal to end, we were happy with the partnership. We would have happily continued it as it has been extremely successful. We wish the club and the stadium the best for the future.”
An official spokesperson for Weston Homes said: “Weston Homes was happy to continue the partnership for another 10 years. It was Colchester United who chose to end the deal, and also chose to announce this without prior notification or consultation with us.
“We wanted the announcement to be made in a mutual and amicable way. We had the money on the table and would have happily given them several more million quid for the next ten years.
It’s been the best advertising we have ever done.”
Thanking Weston Homes for fantastic support, a spokesperson for Colchester United said: “We would like to express our thanks and gratitude for Weston Homes for their fantastic support over the past ten years. It has been a hugely successful partnership over the past decade and is one of the longest in the club’s history.
“Weston Homes’ support has allowed Colchester United to establish the stadium as a key community hub and their backing both as title sponsor and at individual events has allowed us to create many special stories together since the venue opened in 2008.
Hundreds of thousands visit the stadium each year and Weston Homes name has been synonymous with the successes we have enjoyed in our first ten years at our new home.”
The stadium has played host to major concerts featuring global music stars including Elton John and Ollie Murs in the past decade and has also hosted six international football fixtures, along with a host of sporting and non-sporting events that has benefited a broad cross section of the community in Colchester and across the region.
