From £50k to £60m: A history of LFC's front-of-shirt sponsors

Liverpool have had five front-of-shirt sponsors since the late 1970s and have now agreed a deal for a sixth, continuing a trend that has reshaped English football’s finances. The history begins in 1979, when Hitachi became the first top-flight English club shirt sponsor after the FA, Football League and TV companies allowed advertising on kits. Hitachi’s deal ran from 1979 to 1982 and was reportedly worth £50,000 per year for three years, spanning successful seasons including two league titles, a European Cup, and two League Cups. Crown Paints followed from 1982 to 1988, with details of its fee kept private. Candy was on shirts from 1988 to 1992, and Carlsberg from 1992 to 2010, starting above £1 million annually and ending around £8–10 million per year, while the Carlsberg relationship continues until at least 2034.