Betting firm 888 Sport in the running to become Norwich City’s main sponsor

888sport logo. Supplied

Norwich City is believed to be in discussions with online betting company 888 Sport as a possible successor to Aviva as main club sponsor.

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It is understood the bookmaker is one of a number of companies who have held talks over a potential commercial tie-up but no deal has yet been concluded to replace the insurance giant, which becomes a community partner after eight years as Norwich City’s main sponsor. An announcement on the main sponsor is expected within the next few weeks.

City declined to make any official comment on Tuesday, although Canaries’ chairman Ed Balls indicated last month work was well underway on finalising a main sponsor and a replacement for Jarrold as sponsor of the South Stand at Carrow Road.

Gibraltar-based 888 Sport have a long track record in professional football and were unveiled as the new shirt sponsor for Norwich City’s Championship rivals Nottingham Forest earlier this summer.

Prior to that, 888 Sport had previously been the main sponsor for newly-promoted Premier League club Middlesbrough.

888 Sport is a subsidiary of 888 Holdings plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company, formed in 1997, claims on its official web site to be one of the world’s most popular online gaming entertainment and solutions providers. They also have the naming rights to one of the stands at Middlesbrough’s Riverside and have had similar deals with the likes of Football League clubs Reading, Burnley and Swindon Town.

Norwich City already have a tie up with bookmaker Coral, who became the Canaries’ official betting partner and sponsors of the Barclay Stand in 2015.

Aviva had been the club’s main sponsor since 2008 during which time the club spent four seasons in the Premier League and won three promotions, including a Championship play-off victory at Wembley in 2015.