| 15 March 2011
For over a year now, a massive renovation of PGE Park has been underway. The stadium should look as good as new, if not better, once the construction work is finished and ready for the players to take the pitch for the first home match. But a new stadium deserves a new name, and as the Timbers organization proudly announced yesterday, that new name is now JELD-WEN Field.
JELD-WEN is a windows and doors company based out of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Its new partnership with the Timbers gives the company the title of being the Official Window and Door Provider of the Timbers and Major League Soccer. JELD-WEN can also now use Timbers and MLS branding at league and select club events.
An important aspect of the partnership is the community involvement factor. As part of “Tix for Kids,” JELD-WEN will be donating 25 tickets to every home match that will go to underprivileged youth. The company is also teaming up with Friends of Trees, pledging to plant a tree for every Timbers goal scored in 2011.
So why was JELD-WEN selected as a partner? Timbers owner Merritt Paulson gave the following explanation: “It would be an understatement to say that many factors enter into a decision as important as our naming rights partnership,” said Paulson.
“The fact that JELD-WEN is an Oregon-based company, has a deep-rooted history in our community and is so committed to giving back makes this marriage an ideal one for the Timbers.”
Already, fans are suggesting nicknames for the new soccer stadium. A popular early frontrunner: “The House of Pane.”
--
Other Timbers News:
Jeff Carlisle of ESPN has written a terrific story on the Timbers, titled “Where the Dream of Soccer Lives On.” In the article, Carlisle revisits some of the storied history of the club and explains why Portland, or Soccer City USA, is the perfect place for an MLS team to plant its roots and grow.
Mick Hoban, a former NASL player, had the following to say about the Timbers legacy: "It says a lot about the brand of the Timbers that it won't die. We've had economic recessions, we've had leagues folding, we've had owners who have lost their funding. We've had all sorts of issues that have come and flown in the face of the Timbers. But instead of looking at the glass as half-empty, I prefer to look at the glass as half-full. I think, 'What a great sport we must have, and what a great club we must have if people will persist and find a way for it to continue.' That's the history of the Timbers."
photo: portlandtimbers.com
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
