Yokohama HPT Partners With MK Dons Football Team

The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres and TSW, MAK plus a range of marque-specific replacement alloy wheels, Yokohama HPT Ltd, has become a partner to the Milton Keynes-based football team, the MK Dons. The partnership will see Yokohama logos displayed at the MK Dons’ brand new 31,000-seat stadium in Milton Keynes and will allow Yokohama HPT to support the team from its own box at the stadium during home games.

The MK Dons are eagerly anticipating the start of the new football season this weekend and with it, the commissioning of the brand-new multi-million pound StadiumMK. Situated within strolling distance of the Yokohama HPT offices, thus the relationship between the team and the company is a logical one, and reflects Yokohama HPT’s commitment to the local community.

The MK Dons are currently situated in the Second Division but a series of high-profile additions to the team structure over the winter have strengthened its chances of gaining promotion this season. The former Manchester United and Liverpool player and England captain, Paul Ince, has joined as Manager and brings with him a wealth of experience of top level football, both in the UK and abroad.

Several of the players took part in a photocall this week in the run-up to the start of the season, including Ince, Kieran Murphy and Leon Knight. Footballers are renowned for their love of cars and the MK Dons players are no exception, appreciating the sight of a Volkswagen Golf fitted with 18in TSW Holsten alloy wheels and Yokohama Parada tyres. Yokohama HPT report they were also bowled over by the sight of the 22in Redbourne alloy wheel, wrapped in Yokohama’s high-performance SUV tyre, the ADVAN ST.

Manager Ince explained how important the support of the local business community is to the team; “It’s vital to the team to gain the support of the local business community. If we get their support, they will be invaluable to help us get across the message of what the MK Dons team is about. The season is about to start and we’re extremely excited about the prospect.

“One of our key objectives is to ensure that fans go home from the StadiumMK happy, irrespective of the result. Of course, we want them to go home having watched us win but we know that won’t always be the case. But whatever the result, it’s crucial that we approach the game in the right way, for the spectators, for the club and of course, for our partners.”

Managing director of Yokohama HPT, David Seward, said; “We are delighted to be an official partner of the MK Dons. We have watched with some interest over the previous months the brand-new stadium develop and it is extremely impressive. I know that the team is just as serious about its football as the club is about the investment it has put into developing the new stadium. I am very excited about the partnership between Yokohama HPT and the MK Dons and look forward to celebrating wins and hopefully, promotion, with the team at the end of this season.”

The MK Dons’ competitive debut at their new stadium took place on 11 August, where despite a promising half-time result the Dons were one goal to two against Bury at the final whistle.