We are delighted to announce our partnership with local company Vulcan Building Services, who have become the new naming rights sponsor for our famous stadium as we enter the Football League for the first time.
Vulcan Building Services Ltd (VBS) is one of the country’s leading building services installation specialists and has joined forces with Sutton United Football Club as the new stadium sponsor. As of Saturday 7th August 2021, The Borough Sports Ground will be formally known as the ‘VBS Community Stadium’. This 4-season deal takes the sponsorship through to 31st July 2025.
As a family focused community club, the synergy between Sutton United FC and VBS was a perfect match. VBS have been commercially involved with Sutton United FC since 2019 and the decision to invest through the stadium sponsorship title rights is an investment that met with the objective of supporting the local community, while giving their business excellent exposure to a far wider audience.
This investment will help the newly promoted Sutton United FC in their quest to remain in the English Football League (EFL) for more than just the forthcoming season, which is their first in that level of football after 123 years.
VBS intend to support individual home games by subsidising junior entry fees and providing ‘goodie bags’ to the junior fans on those match days. Giving back to the community and loyal fans that have been there through thick and thin.
VBS, as a company, have been a sponsor at Sutton United FC since 2019. However, Group Managing Director Julian Crane has supported the club since boyhood, along with supporting Chelsea FC. Julian’s love and passion for Sutton United FC started way back in 1970. The FA Cup draw pitched the club against Leeds United FC that season, when Sutton United FC were well beaten 0-6 by the visitors to Gander Green Lane that day. Julian, however, can remember saying “I wanted Chelsea to beat them in the final after witnessing my team get such a ‘hiding’ at our home ground!”. Julian, in fact, waited nearly half a centenary to witness the exact FA Cup tie, at Gander Green Lane, in 2017. The sweet taste of victory came in the 4th Round as Jamie Collins scored from a penalty kick, giving Sutton United FC the famous 1-0 win on that occasion. Perhaps the main difference between those fixtures was the playing surface, being 3G or, in new money, plastic in the re-match. Anyway, with the promotion into the EFL, it's back to a grass surface, but that’s another story!
Julian’s son, Charlie Crane (VBS - Director), played for the junior teams that were associated with the club and started his football ‘career’ playing in the Sutton United FC mini-soccer leagues on Sunday morning, which were managed by Sutton United FC legend, the late John Rains, who was a well-known and highly regarded former player and manager at the club.
Julian’s sister, Beverley, has also supported the club since 1970 and is an ardent season ticket holder. They have both supported the club via the ‘United We Stand’ fan initiative to help the club survive through the COVID-19 pandemic. Julian and Beverly have also entered a team in the ‘Strikers are Key’ club competition, along with a mutual friend.
A family focused company supporting a family centred club – a great tie in our eyes!
Dave Farebrother, Chairman of the Board, commented: "This is perfect timing. The sponsorship for this season was actually agreed before we even clinched promotion but, as we prepare for being a Football League club for the first time, the partnership with Vulcan Building Services has been fundamental to the works taking place off the field. Their management and staff have been flexible, patient and totally professional in responding to the sometimes outrageous demands we have placed on them, and we are so pleased to have them on board."
