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Electronics firm named as Leicester City shirt sponsors

Lineker 'sick as a parrot' at end of Walkers Crisps tie-in

Consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics will displace Walkers Crisps as shirt sponsors of football club Leicester City from next season.

The English premiership outfit, who are dropping towards mid-table after an promising start to the season, will take over from Walkers in a deal worth a minimum of £2.5m over the initial first two years of the contract. The agreement, which also includes various performance-related payments, might be extended into a third season for a further £1.25m. In all the deal might be worth £7m.

Leicester's most famous ex-player, and current Match of the Day presenter, Gary Lineker also stars in a high-profile series of TV ads for Walker's Crisps, one of which stars Blubber-boy former team-mate Paul Gascoigne. The deal between LG and Leicester means Lineker's marketing value to Walkers is diminished, though whether this caused him to cry into his chips isn't recorded in the LG press release on the deal.

LG Electronics employs 50,000 people around the globe, marketing its products to consumers in more than 180 countries. Its product range include Flatron TVs and monitors, IDTVs, DVDs, MP3s, fridge-freezers, washing machines and optical storage products.

The firm also sponsors the reigning World Champions France, though not as shirt sponsors, as well as the Australian national football team.

Technology company sponsourship of football teams has brought mixed blessings on the field. Sharp enjoyed a hugely successful partnership with Manchester United and ISP Demon Internet (or Thus) has a good tie-in with up-and-coming Fulham.

However Tottenham won nothing during its long association with Hewlett-Packard, and fans of the club even considered it brought them bad luck. It's all a game of two halves, isn't it? ®

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