No we are not talking about USA goalkeeper Hope Solo, but the Solo Cup, the name for the 2011 Western Australian State Knock out competition.
At the start of the 2010 Football West entered a partnership with Schweppes, with the relationship blossoming and benefitting the drinks supplier the relationship was strengthened when the then Commercial and Marketing Manager Ben Fitzpatrick signed them up to sponsor the state league cup, which was to be known as The Solo Cup. This agreement was believed to have been worth in the region of thirty thousand dollars to Football West.
Separate to this deal was the chance for individual clubs to team up with Schweppes and purchase all of their soft drinks through the company direct. The benefits of this deal were that you were receiving a discount by dealing direct, would receive branded fridges and a cash-back incentive on the amount of drinks that you purchased.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was made redundant from Football West and soon after the deal with Schweppes we believe was terminated.
It is believed that the about face came as a result of the organisation’s major funder the Department of Sport and Recreation dangling a financial carrot, through its Healthway arm; Healthway sponsorship coming with a number of restrictions especially in relations to fast food companies and sugary soft drinks.
If this is as it would appear, it might be short sighted, as surely there are more potential sponsors out there, which could generate more funding than that offered by Healthway? By cancelling the agreement with a large organization such as Schweppes who are onboard at national level again is a risky one, as large organisations talk.
It seems a shame that such a decision was made mid-season as it sends out all kinds of conflicting messages, surely the Schweppes deal could have been honoured until the end of the season and then the Healthway agreement start from there?
