This is fascinating.
From Japanese electronics to reckless banks and middle eastern airlines, the fate of Premier League shirt sponsors has been tied closely to that of the world economy. West Ham United was the latest club to be sideswiped by the financial markets this month when its main commercial backer, foreign exchange dealer Alpari, was forced into administration by the Swiss central bank suddenly abandoning the Swiss franc’s peg against the euro.
It is the second time the east end team has been caught offside by global events, having lost XL Airways in 2008 when the UK carrier – its backers caught up in the Icelandic banking meltdown – collapsed in the same month as the Lehman Brothers implosion.
Charting the evolution of shirt sponsors over the history of the Premier League also gives an insight into how the world and UK economies have evolved since the 1990s.
More here – The Guardian
