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It occurs to me on Henessey day that very few sporting events are known by their sponsors name. I can think of the Stella Artois in tennis (although I seem to think they've withdrawn now). In cricket we used to have Gillette and more latterly the Nat West trophy, but can we think of any others where an event is uniquely known by its sponsors name?
 
Although now defunct, I seem to think the Masters (snooker) was always called the Benson and Hedges? or was it called the Beson and Hedges Masters?. The Sun Alliance Chase would be another, but both this and the Victor Chandler are known really to horse racing officendos only. I do believe however, that the general sports fan knows the Henessey. Indeed, I mentioned to someone last year that I'd just back from the Henessey they immediately recognised it as "the Henessey Gold cup" they said "horse racing?"
 
That one half occurred to me, although I think the league cup which is where its geneology comes from has probably been known by its sponsors name ever since the Milk Marketing Board got it. I think its a fair call though, but the numerous different sposnors seem to have broken the continuity up a bit.
 
Lots of sponsors have forced golf tournaments to name their tournaments after them. Mercedes etc. It does'nt work when its forced on people.
 
Yes, but there's no tournament that is primarily known by its sponsors name that generates automatic recognition to wider sports constituency.

I'd say Henessey isn't far short of being one of the few left. As I said Stella Artois and Gillette woudl have been others, and I think you could probably throw Carling in, but much after that, I can't think they'd be many
 
I never really think of the National in those terms DG. Now Magnet Cup day at York, that is different.
 
Gillette actually pulled out of cricket in the 80s because at the time they felt that too many people associated them with cricket rather than producing razors.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
The John Smith's Grand National
Click to expand...

Sorry DG that's miles off the mark. All you're doing is telling me who sponsors an event. That's not the same. Who have you ever heard talking in terms of "winning the John Smiths"? Contrast this with "The Henessey", its the product before the race, or even that the race, has become the sponsors product, and overtaken it in terms of recognition.

Granger, I think you can have half a point. I still think rugby fans talk in terms of winning the premiership, rather than winning the Guiness though, so I'd discount that one, but I'm not so sure that they don't refer to the celtic league as the Magners? Coiln?

Come to think of it, even the Stella Artois, which i htought was one of the more successful examples, I've periodically heard referred to as "winning Queens" so that one is probably 50/50. I think Gillette probably ursurped its tournament, but there can't be many?
 
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Can't think of any non racing ones. Only obvious one that hasn't been mentioned is the Racing Post Trophy, and that's never called just the "Racing Post".
 
That would be the same Aintree who has to suck up big time to their sponsors I assume?

Just ask anybody who their favourite winner of the John Smiths was, who won this years John Smiths, or how many John Smiths Red Rum won, and I think you'll get a few quizzical looks. Supplant the sponsors name with that of the 'Grand National' and I think it's fair to say which people refer to first.

The Grand National is .... The Grand National.....
The Hennesey Gold Cup is .... The Hennesey.....
 
I think Suntory were starting to make a little breakthrough in the world match play, but even then, it was still 'the Suntory World Match play'. The League cup ha shad so many sponsors now that I tend to refer to it is as the League Cup still, although Irealise that if anyone stuck at it for 10 years or more, it would be one of the easier ones to capture. I think amateur/ semi-pro football leagues tend to be known by their sponsors names before their traditional titles? I think snooker tornaments have probably been able to embrace a sponsors name quite effectively, but Hennesey must be one of the longest establsihed sponsorhips in sport I'd have thought, and over time of course, the product has become the prize (so to speak)

How many sponsors do you think the league cups had incidentally?

Worthington, Carling, Milk, Rumbelows, Littlewoods?
 
I must say I cant think of any from any other sport.

Pwehaps, Im old school but I always refer the Whitbread as the Whitbread instead of whatever is called now. If Whitbread didnt pull their sponsorship, Im sure we would still be calling the race, the Whitbread. The sponsors should really just leave some of the titles alone, didnt William Hill wanted to changed the name of the Tingle Creek into some type of William Hill Cup??? We have far too many of those already
 
At the same time, why should Whitbread get anything out of a race they've stopped sponsoring? What's racing getting out of it?
 
One race, which is always referred to and will be instantly recognisable to racing fans is the:

Paddy Power
Thomas Pink
Mackeson
 
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