Changing Names
Aston Villa’s owner Tony Xia and the Recon Group have taken steps ala other major overseas owners of English football clubs, by confirming a naming rights partnership with the club.
MOMS had noticed a bit of juggling in terms of Recon’s Company House’s Villa related company names over the past year to potentially prep such a deal.
Recon will now be the name sponsors of the club’s Bodymoor Heath training complex.
By effectively sponsoring the club they own, it allows an injection of capital to circumvent FFP, which while beneficial at whatever division Villa will play in, is certainly a positive step to safeguard against any possibility of staying in the Championship.
Targeting the Bodymoor Heath training complex is an astute move, as it provides a more organic fit for Recon, providing them with the appearance of a showcase for forwarding fitness technology and evolvement, that can be marketed as more than just a football training complex in their portfolio.
Also, Bodymoor Heath was getting a restructuring anyway due to the HS2 rail link that’s going to be running through it, so Recon will be able to instantly take credit for any improvements made there.
At the same time, it also keeps free major naming rights real estate like Villa Park’s stands for outside investment.
The Club’s Full Statement
Aston Villa Football Club announces new training ground naming rights partner
Aston Villa has confirmed a naming rights partnership for the club’s Bodymoor Heath training facility to be renamed The Recon Training Complex with immediate effect.
The five-year partnership will see Recon become the club’s first ever training ground partner and they will work with Aston Villa to develop, drive forward and build technical capability within The Recon Training Complex, which in turn will allow them to showcase their products and services.
In addition to the brand benefits and naming rights of the training ground, Recon will benefit from a host of other marketing rights including media backdrop branding, LED advertising at Villa Park, digital advertising, access to players, VIP experiences and match day hospitality.
The Bodymoor Heath site has been Aston Villa’s training ground since the 1970s and underwent a multi-million-pound transformation before the start of the 2007/08 season, turning it into a modern facility. A new state-of-the-art performance lounge has been created to allow an innovative approach to analysis. The installation of HD cameras with high-speed fibre links now provides the football department with real-time training footage and touchscreen technology for the first time. Players can also benefit from a sports psychology lounge within the training complex as well as improvements to the existing rehabilitation facilities. As well as serving as a base for the first team, The Recon Training Complex is also used by the club’s academy and ladies team.
Aston Villa has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Recon Group since Dr Tony Xia purchased the club in 2016, with the company’s logo appearing on the back of the first team’s shirts.
Dr Xia, the Aston Villa Chairman, said: “The naming of Bodymoor Heath, and the extensive package of marketing rights, provides Recon and our group businesses with a unique communication platform to showcase our services and products. We’re very proud to make this announcement and look forward to developing the technological showcase of our offering.”
Keith Wyness, CEO, Aston Villa Football Club, said: “This partnership will guarantee that the club continues to develop best in class training facilities. Investment in our training ground is vital to optimising performance on the pitch and we are glad to be working with a long-term partner to create advantage at Aston Villa Football Club.
“The training ground is also one of our key revenue generators as we send coaches overseas to spread the Villa techniques and philosophy forming a key pillar of our international plans.”
UTV
Previous MOMS article on Villa Park naming rights
