West Ham football club have been in discussion with Asian sportsbook, SBOBet, about a shirt sponsorship deal which should be sealed sometime soon.  If the deal goes ahead, West Ham will be the latest English football club to sign a sponsorship deal with a gambling firm.

A few football clubs across Europe - who were previously sponsored by gambling firms - have recently scrapped their deals, due to bowing to pressure from certain people who believe that football clubs should not be advertising the names of gambling firms on their shirts.

West Ham had tried to get the legendary Bobby Moore’s cancer charity, The Bobby Moore Fund, displayed on their shirts, which would have been a popular choice with fans but they were refused permission by the FA. 

The SBOBet deal is looking almost certain to go ahead,  as West Ham are desperate for a new sponsor because their former sponsors  XL, the travel company, went bust just a couple of months ago.  Since then, the Hammers - who are at the moment 14th in the Premiership - have been playing games without the name of a company emblazoned across their shirts.

It has been reported that the deal with SBOBet will last 18 months and is worth in the region of £1.9 million.  West Ham’s sponsorship deal with XL was worth £2.5 million a season.

West Ham are also keen to find a new sponsor quickly because their  finances could take a battering if they fail to win their appeal against the court ruling that they should pay Sheffield United compensation.  Back in September, Sheffield United won the court case to receive compensation from West Ham as United were relegated from the Premiership in 2007. 

The Yorkshire club argued that Carlos Tevez was a key member of the West Ham team, playing a major role in keeping West ham in the top division at their expense.  The Tevez transfer to West Ham was found to be in breach of Premiership rules.  

West Ham will join the likes of Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers  Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur who have also been sponsored by gambling firms, if they the deal with SBOBet.

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