Sponsorhip downward trend

The shirt-sponsorship market has begun to suffer the fallout from the downturn.

The prolific global expansion of English football's Barclays Premier League has steadily pushed up the value of the UK's shirt-sponsorship market.

However, with the advent of the economic downturn and some of the game's biggest sponsorship deals - Manchester United and Chelsea FC - drawing to a close, it has become a buyers' market.