Emerald will continue to finance the stadium, which is shared by Leeds Rhinos, but will no longer sponsor Yorkshire CCC. Anchor and David Lloyd Clubs have also brought their partnerships with the club to an end
Several major sponsors, including Emerald Group, Yorkshire Tea and Tetley’s, have ended their brand relationships with Yorkshire County Cricket Club as a result of the club’s handling of the Azeem Rafiq case.
Publishing company Emerald will continue their financial commitment to the stadium, which is shared with rugby league side Leeds Rhinos, but will no longer sponsor Yorkshire.
In a statement, Emerald said: "We have today taken the decision to remove our brand association with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Headingley Stadium.
"We do not tolerate any form of racism or discriminatory behaviour and the damaging effects this has. Our intention remains to continue a financial commitment to the stadium itself, which is also the home of Leeds Rhinos rugby, as we believe this supports the aims of diversity and inclusion in sport along with a range of charitable community endeavours.
"Emerald will however no longer sponsor Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We hope that YCCC will listen and respond with serious action to eradicate racism from the club and uphold the values we all expect"
Local brewery Tetley’s, who have several alcohol stands around the stadium concourse, will not extend their current contract with the club.
We have taken the decision to remove our brand association with YCCC and Headingley Stadium. We do not tolerate any form of racism or discriminatory behaviour. We hope that YCCC will respond with serious action and uphold the values we all expect. https://t.co/mQ7LliDac9
— Emerald Publishing (@EmeraldGlobal) November 3, 2021
"As a brand we strive to be inclusive and to work with partners that share these values. We are deeply saddened by the ongoing conversation surrounding Yorkshire County Cricket Club following the recent investigation and report, and firmly believe further decisive action is required," a Tetley’s statement read.
"As such, we have informed Yorkshire Country Cricket Club of our intention to not extend our official beer sponsorship with them beyond the end of the current contractual agreement. Discussions with the relevant parties remain ongoing given we have a valued 25-year relationship with Headingley Stadium and Leeds Rhinos, which also includes the recent addition of our brand sponsorship of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We are proud of our investment in sport in Leeds through these partners and do not want the actions of one club to impact on others."
Yorkshire Tea have also confirmed that they will be ending their association with the club with immediate effect, commenting: "We were upset to read about the experiences of Azeem Rafiq during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We wholeheartedly believe that cricket should be a sport for everyone, but his experiences and the way the panel report has been handled don't reflect that. Our current partnership with YCCC was naturally coming to an end but we have taken the decision to end it with immediate effect."
Sports and leisure provider David Lloyd Clubs have also brought their partnership with Yorkshire to an end, having previously suspended the partnership earlier in the year, while Anchor, the butter brand owned by Arla Foods, announced the end to their association with the club on November 2.
On Tuesday, Yorkshire’s chairman Roger Hutton was summoned to appear before a parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee to address the allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire CCC while Azeem Rafiq has also been offered the opportunity to give evidence.
An independent report commissioned by Yorkshire had previously determined that Rafiq, who played for the county between 2008 and 2018, was the victim of "racial harassment and bullying."
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