The lure is the excitement and exposure of the EPL, which broadcasts live in 211 countries and territories. The connection is the several American players that have featured prominently for Fulham. Clint Dempsey has the distinction of being the only US field player currently starting and scoring in the EPL and fellow American Eddie Johnson is also on the roster. Brian McBride, Kasey Keller, Carlos Bocanegra, Eddie Lewis, and Marcus Hahnemann also played for Fulham.
Fulham’s real market jersey value is undetermined. A club like Manchester United can get in the neighborhood of $29 million, but clubs lower down the table normally go for less. US-owned Aston Villa recently gave their jersey sponsorship to Acorn, a children’s hospice charity. The sponsorship for the biggest club in England's second-largest city was estimated to be worth around $3.2 million.
The surging attendance at international matches in the US this summer no doubt encouraged Fulham to look across the pond for new revenue.
Like many clubs, Fulham is looking for ways to increase their presence in the potentially lucrative US market, which in turn would up the ante for a jersey sponsor. So, separately from the FSG jersey deal, Fulham is working with consulting firm Professional Soccer Advisors (PSA) on branding, “revenue opportunities,” and understanding the American market. Steve Gans, the principal of PSA is clear about what that relationship does and doesn't mean.
"It’s not about a co-branded marketing effort," Gans said. "It's about FSG, which is a Red Sox affiliated agency, going out there and selling its jersey and other sponsorships.”
Among the possibilities for increasing Fulham’s US presence would be looking at alliances with US youth clubs.
Existing foreign associations with youth clubs aren’t so much scouting or revenue ventures as branding opportunities. Among those invested are: Chelsea with clubs in New Jersey, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Los Angeles; Monaco with an alliance with Rush Soccer in Colorado, Texas, and Virginia; Derby County with the Michigan Wolves-Hawks; and Benfica in New Jersey and Arizona.
"Kids come to practice in EPL and La Liga jerseys," Gans said. "Kids are inspired by the highest quality soccer."
While a Fulham youth club alliance won’t surface tomorrow, Gans said that’s “certainly part of the thing they’re considering” and that “definitely the New England area is a possibility and all over the country is possible.”
Fulham’s involvement in an exhibition match at Fenway Park is another possibility. Billy Hogan, the executive vice-president at FSG, sees an EPL match at the historic baseball stadium as a unique opportunity to expose Boston’s sports fans to international football. Hogan acknowledged that adjustments with seating and the outfield wall might be required for Fenway to accommodate a soccer pitch, but that the intimate urban stadium atmosphere is just right for hosting soccer.
"We can’t try to convert Red Sox fans to become Fulham fans,” said Hogan, “but by opening up the opportunity for the experience there could be some converts.”
High ticket sales at 2009 US international matches provide concrete evidence for further investment and ventures. Twenty-one of the 25 largest crowds at US soccer games this summer were for international friendlies or the World Football Challenge competition. The August 1st, LA Galaxy v Barcelona match that Beckham branded with his free kick goal topped the chart with 93,137 and 11 others cleared 50,000.
It's not much of a surprise that scheduling elite teams against each other or bringing over the reigning European club champion will draw big crowds. But some see a limit to that appeal year after year. That includes talk of the Premier League's 39th game, a proposal that would have each club playing a league game in an international city.
"When you do [international friendlies] wrong they bomb as they should bomb,” said Gans, "because the American fan is getting more and more sophisticated. So any EPL or international team playing in the first week of their training camp - that has grown old. To me it’s more seriousness of purpose."
Hogan is serious about connecting Fulham to the local Boston and broader US market. That starts with a jersey sponsor. He suggested that Fulham and its sponsors might even have a presence at Fenway Park.
“That certainly wouldn’t surprise me,” said Hogan.
L.E. Eisenmenger writes for a variety of outlets including covering Boston soccer for The Examiner. Contact her at eisenmenger@soccerlens.com.
