Bold step by Sheffield United strikes a chord with fans across the country
Research commissioned by the Football Supporters’ Association, which aims to empower fans across England and Wales, has endorsed Sheffield United’s decision to reject offers from gambling companies to become the club’s Premier League shirt sponsor.
As The Star revealed last month, officials at Bramall Lane have turned down “a number” of lucrative bids from the sector to place their logo on United’s first team jerseys next term as they search for a more family friendly backer.
The stance struck a chord with followers of Aston Villa and Chelsea, who are both scheduled to enter new partnerships with betting firms BK8 and Stake respectively.
Now, a poll conducted as part of the FSA’s annual review has found that nearly three quarters of the 10,000 people they questioned (73 percent) are “concerned about the amount of gambling advertising and sponsorship in football.”
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A spokesperson for The Big Step, an organisation which aims to end the practice, said: “We don’t need a survey to show how unpopular gambling ads in football are, but this poll confirms the overwhelming amount of fans don’t want the beautiful game tarnished by advertising for addictive and harmful products.”
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Although cultural sensibilities in Saudi Arabia - United owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abduaziz Al Saud’s homeland - would make it difficult for Paul Heckingbottom’s employers to strike a deal of this kind with a betting company, one source close to the board recently admitted “We want something which youngsters as well as all adults can feel comfortable wearing.” This has prompted them to spurn at least three invitations to hold talks with gambling firms; all of which were willing to meet their demand for payment of at least £6m.
Although the PL is set to outlaw such arrangements, by the start of the 2026/27 season, its members are still entitled to promote betting companies on their club issue clothing until then.
“Across the world, organisations and governments are ending all forms of gambling advertising,” The Big Step spokesperson continued. “It’s time for clubs and authorities in the UK to listen to the feir fans and do the same.”
