England internationals want to take control of their sponsorship activities.GETTY IMAGES
England’s national football team players held talks with their legal advisers and the FA at St. George’s Park Tuesday night in an attempt to agree to "a new commercial deal for the squad," according to Hughes & Woods of the LONDON TIMES. The players are seeking to take control of their sponsorship activities while on int'l duty by ending a deal with 1966 Entertainment to negotiate on their behalf, although "some members of the squad are unhappy with how the process is being handled." Negotiations between players, agents and lawyers have been going on for several months "amid disgruntlement about falling income from commercial deals," which has dropped to about £150,000 ($198,060) a year for each player. While 1966 is being blamed by some, others "accept that the smaller fees reflect commercial reality and the lack of star appeal" within Gareth Southgate’s squad. The FA is also "still searching for a headline sponsor to replace Vauxhall," whose £6M-a-year deal with the Home Nations expired after the World Cup. The commercial discussions have "created more interest than usual because of a dispute in Denmark" that led to the int'l team going on strike before a friendly against Slovakia "in a row over bonuses last month." The FA is, however, "working with the players to resolve the situation" (LONDON TIMES, 10/10).
