Martin has faith the popularity of sport will keep it alive

LOUISE MARTIN, Chair of sportscotland, acknowledges that things may never be the same but, equally, that UK sport is entering an important phase that will withstand the current maelstrom.

"The additional resources sponsorship brings to sport is vital to the survival of many sports in Scotland, from the local village team to those representing our country at the highest level," she said.

"In return, sport offers the commercial sector unique promotional benefits such as association with a healthy active image, direct access to target audiences, and when effectively executed, a sponsorship can be an extremely powerful and cost-effective marketing tool.

"The current economic climate will make it increasingly difficult for many sports to find new sponsors and retain existing ones, certainly in the short term. However, at a time when sport has an increasingly important role to play in improving the health and physical activity of the nation and with a London 2012 Olympics and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on the horizon I am sure the quality of the products we have to offer will still be very attractive."