Pub pulls rugby kits in sponsorship row; Lion landlord's contract claim

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Nov 9, 2009

Byline: DAVE HIMELFIELD

A SPONSOR has withdrawn its kit from an amateur rugby club following a contract row.

Almondbury's The Lion Pub bought 17 strips for Newsome Panthers Rugby League Club in September.

In return for the kits, costing a total of almost pounds 800, the club agreed to send one of its two teams to the pub on certain Saturdays for a post-match drink.

But after just seven games the pub has taken back the kits.

A dispute has broken out over the number of Saturdays on which the club was supposed to attend the Lion.

Lion Pub landlord Satt Singh says the club has failed to stick to its contract.

But Newsome Panthers, who held their last end of season presentation at the Lion, have strenuously denied breaching their contract.

The club, whose first team is top of The Pennine League Division Two after winning all seven matches, says it will continue with old kits and kits supplied by its other sponsor Truckline Services, Huddersfield.

Mr Singh, who says his pub is struggling to cope with the recession, says he is now almost pounds 800 out of pocket.

He said: "The pub trade is not that good at the moment.

"They can get a sponsor and kit from anywhere. But for me I'm stuck with pounds 800 of kits and I can't do anything with them.

"I feel like I've been let down.

"At the same time, it's probably my fault for not looking into it that much, but I've held my side of the bargain."

But Newsome Panthers manager Bob Linford said: "If he hadn't jumped in so soon we would have gone back (to the Lion).

"We would have been back to that pub and we would have had our end of season do there but he's started kicking off."

CAPTION(S):

LOSE YOUR SHIRT: Satt Singh of The Lion, Almondbury, former sponsor of Newsome Panthers RL (JH061109Dlion-01)