CTV> McDonald's press conference with Michael Malthouse and Eddie McGuireMcDonald’s Victoria today extended its commitment to the Collingwood Football Club for the next three years, continuing as sponsor of the club’s coaches and junior membership program, Thommo’s Team 13.
The renewed partnership will focus on further developing the community programs that have been established over the past three years that aim to encourage children to adopt a healthy, balanced lifestyle. It comes after Collingwood announced on Monday that premier partner adidas Australia has also recommitted, for another four years.
The Collingwood-McDonald’s partnership has seen thousands of kids attend clinics at the Lexus Centre, players involved in McHappy Day activities raising money for Ronald McDonald House charities, junior football teams train with the Magpies and the playing group educated by the club’s nutritionist on healthy food choices at McDonald’s.
McDonald’s and Collingwood celebrated the renewal today at the Royal Children’s Hospital as the players made their annual Christmas visit to cheer up the kids who will be spending the festive season in a hospital bed.
McDonald’s renewed commitment is a clear sign that the Collingwood Football Club remains a valuable partner to its sponsors as it continues to enjoy a period of unprecedented success and growth with record attendances, membership, on-line marketing, combined with strong on-field performances and the ongoing development of a young, exciting team.
Some key indicators of Collingwood’s success in 2008 are as follows:
• More than 21million people watched Collingwood matches on television this year (49% higher than the average AFL Club audience)
• Collingwood had the highest match attendance of all AFL clubs (53% higher than the average AFL Club attendance) and smashed the all time AFL/VFL home and away attendance record for the second year running with 1.25million people attending Collingwood home and away matches at an average of 56,699 per game (a record 1.37million people attended Collingwood games in 2008 including finals); this was the 12th season that Collingwood has cracked the 1 million mark
• Collingwood recorded a new Club record membership figure of 42,585
• Collingwood’s website (www.collingwoodfc.com.au) was the most popular sporting club site in Australia for the 2008 season.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said “The Collingwood Football Club is delighted to continue its wonderful partnership with McDonald’s Victoria. McDonald’s has supported Collingwood as a major partner since 2006 and together we have been able to successfully implement and promote healthy lifestyle choices for kids, while McDonald's has also provided excellent support for our coaching staff as official coaches sponsor. We look forward to continuing this prosperous relationship for at least the next three years.”
Collingwood Senior Coach Mick Malthouse said: “On behalf of the coaching staff I would like to thank McDonald’s for their outstanding ongoing support. We are very fortunate at Collingwood to have the support of some of Australia’s leading organisations, and McDonald’s certainly falls into that category.”
Chairman of McDonald’s Victorian Licensees, Ken Turner, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue our strong relationship with the Collingwood Football Club for another three years and we look forward to building on the many successful initiatives McDonald’s has established with the club to promote both grassroots football, as well as healthy and active lifestyles.”
