Nike deal $40,000 'confidence boost' for Wollongong Community Football Club

Wollongong Community Football Club's $40,000 sponsorship deal with Nike should reassure other businesses about the club's future, director Vic Cuoco said. The club needs another $100,000 to ensure it is financially viable, but Cuoco welcomed the deal with sporting goods firm Nike as a major coup."If Nike are confident to sponsor us, then we hope that other businesses will see a similar wisdom," Cuoco said. "We hope that anyone who had any doubts about the success of Wollongong Community Football Club will now recognise the genuine opportunities that exist for them to align their brand with the club and Nike," he added.Cuoco confirmed the club was seeking a major sponsor willing to tip in $50,000-$75,000, along with smaller backers."It's (the Nike deal) not enough, we are desperate for a major sponsor," Cuoco said."To have a multi-national company get behind us is a credit to our club but we're still considerably short on the sponsor level and the economic climate doesn't help," he admitted."The lack of a major sponsor is a real concern."If a primary financial supporter doesn't come forward, he said Wollongong Community Football Club (WCFC) could consider some ideas straight out of left field to raise the funds. "We could auction off the major sponsorship or repeat the 2003 raffle, where 50 $2000 donors went into a raffle and the winner became the club's major sponsor," Cuoco suggested. WCFC also announced an agreement with the Fraternity Club believed to be worth $10,000 in cash, in-kind support and use of the club's facilities. "Our players will train on the club's futsal pitch on Tuesday nights and we will hold all our post-match and team functions at the Fraternity Club," Cuoco said. He also insisted WCFC needed more than its present 250 members. "Maybe there is some bad blood with the old identity, but we only have 250 members out of a city that has 8000 junior players," he said."That is a little disappointing."After wearing the jerseys of their predecessor, Wollongong Wolves, in the 2009 season opener last weekend, WCFC will step onto Crehan Park against Bonnyrigg White Eagles on Sunday wearing new white strips. The players will wear gold, green and blue kits in their next away game. Football Express, Nike's southern NSW licensed teamware supplier, brokered the sponsorship deal.