Steve Parkin has been a name that has been associated with Leeds United a lot over the past few months, spotted at games, rumoured buyouts and the ilk.
Now the miner turned logistics boss has finally bought into Elland Road, though not in the way that some fans might have been hoping. Parkin’s investment into Leeds United is not him cutting into a new seam of ownership, it is merely his company sponsoring the East Stand, as per Leeds United’s official site.
Mr Parkin, who collected an award in mid-December at the Variety Yorkshire Business Awards, the founder of Clipper Logistics being named Business Leader of the Year, was asked then about the on-going rumours linking him to the club and said at the time, “Whenever Leeds United’s ownership comes into question Steve Parkin’s name is mentioned. I’m a massive fan of Leeds United. But I think as a city we need Leeds United as a Premiership football club.”
However, the ‘investment’ that the club is seeing has brought in Parkin and his Clipper Logistics firm, who have several ‘named’ clients in their portfolio such as ASOS, John Lewis and ASDA, and will see the East Stand reclad to bear Clipper Logistics branding (see tweet – below); this being something that Steve Parkin is proud to achieve.
#lufc are delighted to announce Clipper Logistics as the new East Stand sponsor. Full story: https://t.co/dTy4XMQRR3 pic.twitter.com/92PhKIyeVu
— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 14, 2016
Speaking on the issue, Parkin expressed this pride saying, “As a lifelong Leeds fan, I’m delighted to have the business I’ve built over the past two decades become a sponsor of the club. It will expose the Clipper name to a global audience, as we continue to grow as a business and help shape the future of retail logistics. This association is a great partnership between Clipper and Leeds United, and I look forward to seeing it flourish.”
For their part, the club warmly reciprocate this partnership with Leeds United Executive Director Paul Bell adding, “We are delighted that Clipper Logistics Plc has chosen to sponsor the East Stand here at Elland Road. Clipper was founded in Leeds and has been a huge success story for the region, expanding across the UK and into Europe. We are delighted to welcome them into our commercial partner’s programme. We look forward to working with Steve and the rest of the Clipper team on this partnership.”
