JM Finn will be the new sponsor of the iconic Vauxhall End stand at the Kia Oval – extending their partnership with Surrey CCC by five years.
The stand – formerly sponsored by services business OCS – will now be known as the JM Finn Stand until at least the summer of 2025. In a normal season it will host over 100,000 cricket fans watching sell out Test Matches, One Day Internationals and Surrey matches in the Vitality T20 Blast.
The new deal will extend the Club’s association with JM Finn – one of the country’s leading wealth management firms – to sixteen years, meaning JM Finn are now Surrey CCC’s longest standing sponsor.
Surrey CCC and The Oval Cricket ground are two of the most historic institutions in world sport. Founded in 1845, the Club has won 20 County Championship titles and been represented by some of the finest English cricketing talents in history including Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Alec Bedser, Peter May, Alec Stewart and Kevin Pietersen. There are currently thirteen male Surrey players that have represented England in different forms of cricket, as well as three female cricketers.
The Oval was also founded in 1845 and has remained in the same central London location for 175 years. It is one of just four grounds in the world to have staged over 100 Test Matches and has played host to matches in five different Cricket World Cups. Away from cricket, in 1872 it was the scene of the first ever FA Cup Final and a year later played host to the England football and rugby team’s first ever home matches (featuring the first ever England goal and first ever England try!). The ground sits on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, meaning that for 175 consecutive years, the Club’s landlord has been the Prince of the Wales.
From the start of the 2021 season, the new deal will also see teams across the Club’s hugely successful County Age Groups programme – the elite youth cricket academy that has recently given birth to new stars like Ollie Pope, Sam and Tom Curran, Rory Burns and Jason Roy – wearing kit branded with the JM Finn logo.
Founded in 1946, JM Finn are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. They recently celebrated having over £10bn of funds under management for the first time and have enjoyed an extended period of growth in recent years. The firm offers investment and portfolio management to a wide spectrum of global clients, specialising in a personalised approach to investment and wealth management that draws on traditional client service values.
In keeping with the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the extension was celebrated with a Zoom call attended by Surrey Director of Cricket Alec Stewart, player/coach Gareth Batty, Chief Executive Richard Gould and Chairman Richard Thompson joining JM Finn partners Oliver Tregoning and Paul Dyas.
Speaking afterwards, Richard Thompson said: “To sign such a long sponsorship agreement in such uncertain economic times is a huge vindication of the faith JM Finn have placed in Surrey County Cricket Club.
“As a Club with 176 years of history, we place huge value in loyalty and partnerships – and so for our longest standing partner to renew and increase their commitment to the Club is hugely appreciated and valued. Everyone at Surrey looks forward to working with Ollie, Paul and all their colleagues at JM Finn for the next five years and hopefully long beyond.”
Hugo Bedford, CEO of JM Finn commented: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Surrey with the naming rights to what is one of the finest stands in world cricket.
“Our affiliation with the club has grown over time and we are very grateful to the team at Surrey who have shown tremendous resilience and drive in a tough environment over recent years. We hope to get some play this summer with cricket fans allowed to return to the fold and wish everyone at Surrey the best of luck for the season ahead, both on and off the pitch.”
