Phone boss answers Tiger call
04 June 2004 Herald Sun
Trevor Grant
RICHMOND'S depleted administrative ranks received a boost yesterday when a boss of the club's joint major sponsor joined the board.
Alan Nicklos, 45, managing director of Motorola's mobile phone business, is the second new director to be named following the hasty departure of directors Brendan Schwab, Peter Welsh and Michael Daddo on the eve of the season. The first was radio host Anthony Mithen.
Richmond president Clinton Casey said yesterday the recruitment of Nicklos was a major coup for the Tigers.
"We are looking for people well-connected in the business world, especially in growth areas, and people who can increase the revenue of this football club. Alan fits the bill very well," Casey said.
Nicklos's first job as director was to put the finishing touches on a new sponsorship deal he has organised through one of Motorola's business partners. The sponsorship deal, valued at $150,000-$180,000 a year to the club, is expected to be announced within a week.
His second job was to deny a report that cast doubts over his company's $900,000 sponsorship of the club next year.
Motorola, which is joint sponsor with the Transport Accident Commission, is reviewing the one-year deal.
Nicklos said Motorola would make an announcement in August after its budgets were confirmed.
"We are in our second year here and we are very happy with the way the relationship is going," he said. "It is our policy to sign one-year contracts, but we have a long-term strategy and football is a big part of it. We are in negotiations now. Things are looking very positive."
Casey also said he was unaware that the TAC, which puts $600,000 a year into the club's coffers and is in the final year of a three-year contract, was likely to end the relationship, as reported yesterday.
"I find that difficult to believe. I had a meeting with the chairman and the acting chief executive a week ago and there was no indication there was any problem with the sponsorship," Casey said.
