Palace make signings on and off the pitch

Last updated : 17 August 2013 By Daniel Smith

Friday was a busy day in SE25 as two signings were announced by the club, one regarding the playing staff and the other a commercial deal.

Ian Holloway will be hoping that ex-Bordeaux defender Florian Marange can add strength to his back four. The one-year deal is subject to FA and Premier League approval and is a free transfer, which will help the purse strings.

Marange is the first defender Holloway has brought in during this transfer window which has seen nine new faces come to Selhurst. This has been an area of the field many supporters have felt needs strengthening, and Marange’s signing will certainly provide competition for places.

On the business side of things, the rumoured 12Bet deal has been announced and does not include, as fans had first feared, the renaming of Selhurst Park.

12Bet signed a one-year deal that will see them become the stadium sponsor and official betting partner of the club. There is the possibility that their name will appear in the official title in the sense of “Selhurst Park sponsored by 12Bet” or something along those lines, but this is speculation and remains to be seen.

Rumours had been rife that the Selhurst Park name would be dropped, but these were allayed by co-chairman Steve Browett on an online forum. At the announcement, some fans on social media platform Twitter expressed dissatisfaction at what was seen as selling out, whilst others praised the owners for gaining additional revenue.

Whilst the deal may still divide opinion, it is highly unlikely to be as divisive as a potential renaming would have been. The agreement is the second sponsorship announcement from the club over the summer, after Access Self Storage were announced as the Season Ticket and Membership Card sponsor in July.

Daniel Smith - @dmsmith1987