Cayman’s Portsmouth sponsorship and the tour that never was

Portsmouth FC were scheduled to visit the Cayman Islands for a pre-season tour as part of a sponsorship package which tourism officials believed would help ignite ‘sports tourism’ on the island.

The Department of Tourism’s three-season £125,000 (about CI$126,500 at current exchange rates) partnership – the most high profile of a string of taxpayer-funded sponsorships of UK sports teams – included a provisional agreement with the third-tier English professional football team for a week-long tour including a game against the men’s national team.

The trip for 30 players and coaches, including the first team, was contingent on Cayman funding hotels, accommodation and expenses, and providing the facilities that the team needed.

It was one of a number of possible tours and sports tourism events  – including a paddleboarding world championships – that officials hoped would stem from its strategy of sponsoring UK sports teams and associations. So far, none of those major events appear to have materialised.

The Portsmouth tour, slated for July 2022, did not take place. Cayman Islands Football Association officials previously told the Compass there had been talks over a possible game, but the required upgrades to the stadium, among other things, made it cost prohibitive for the organisation.

Nonetheless, unredacted copies of the sponsorship contract and business agreement – provided to the Compass following an order from the Ombudsman under the Freedom of Information Act – show that the possibility of a tour was an important part of the justification for the spending.

Several agreements with UK sports clubs cite similar opportunities. However, while a handful of players and officials from some of the clubs do seem to have visited the Cayman Islands, there was little promotion around those trips and no evidence of any matches or coaching sessions involving Cayman teams.

The business case for the Portsmouth deal – which included Cayman branding on a stand in the club’s stadium and advertising in the matchday programme – states: “Portsmouth FC has agreed to play a pre-season friendly (with 1st team players) against the Cayman team subject to the pitch at Truman Bodden Stadium being relaid to international standards.”

It continues: “Portsmouth would work with their fan base to provide packages for them to come to the game and actively encourage visitation.

“Should the game not be possible for any reason, a visit of a few key coaches would come to do some development work around Cayman FA and be filmed around Cayman enjoying the tourist sites to be relayed back to fans throughout the year.”

Cayman Islands Football Association president Alfredo Whittaker confirmed this week that there had been no tour and no coaching opportunity between CIFA and the League One club.

Sports tourism plan

The Portsmouth sponsorship case goes on to outline the opportunities for sports tourism, which it describes as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry.

“Whilst the primary objective of the partnership is to raise awareness of Cayman in the UK and Europe, which will ultimately drive visitation, there is a secondary objective, which is to drive direct sports tourism.

It adds, “While Cayman are not in the position to host the Olympic Games or the World Cup, it is a perfect destination for school, amateur and professional sports to come and tour across a number of different sports.

“The secondary objective is therefore to use the partnerships to attract touring teams in sports to play or pre-season train in Cayman. In turn, this will provide international competition for Cayman teams.”

Agreements with Rosslyn Park rugby, London Irish rugby and Old Cranleighans Hockey Club also include agreements to negotiate possible tours. A separate £30,000-a-year deal with British Canoeing includes a commitment to discuss hosting a Stand Up Paddleboarding World Championships in Cayman.

Many of the multi-year agreements, collectively worth around half-a-million dollars, were negotiated or signed at a time when travel to the islands was restricted because of COVID.

The Portsmouth contract included direct reference to a planned tour, with a tentative date of July 2022, with first team members slated to take part in a pre-season match and promotional activities around the islands.

The contract included a clause requiring the parties to negotiate in good faith for a secondary contract to hammer out the details of the seven-night tour.

Ice baths and training facilities

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism was to provide accommodation and return travel, and organise a pre-season friendly match, including venue and ticketing. The club also needed full-size pitches, changing facilities, footballs, goal posts, ice baths, accessories, cones, ladders, hurdles and other training facilities to be provided, according to the document.

A pre-tour visit for Portsmouth FC staff to assess the quality of the pitches and training facilities in early 2022 was also recommended as part of the contract.

The Department of Tourism has not responded to questions on why the tour did not happen or if it may in future. The department has also not responded to questions about the other tours mooted in the documents.

There has been no media releases or publicity locally around any visit involving any of the teams to the Cayman Islands that the Compass is aware of.

Unanswered questions

These are the most recent questions sent from the Compass to the Department and Ministry of Tourism in relation to the sports sponsorships and the proposed tours and sports tourism strategy. A ministry spokesperson did provide answers to different questions submitted in relation to its handling of potential conflicts of interests and expense payments, which are covered in separate stories.

They did not answer the following questions: