Drogheda United FC is taking a stand against gambling sponsorships in Irish soccer. The team has vowed that it would not seek any ties with gambling companies to forward its sustainability and competitiveness.
While teams have grown accustomed to similar arrangements with gambling firms, many are now trying to look for revenue elsewhere as governments are increasingly reviewing such arrangements.
Drogheda is effectively joining “The Big Step,” a campaign across the United Kingdom that wants soccer to find an alternative source of revenue. The issue has been discussed many times before.
During the pandemic, policymakers became keener on imposing a complete ban on such advertisement, but many clubs protested that there was a lack of traditional advertisers to feel the void.
However, Drogheda United chairman Conor Hoey is confident that a soccer club can carry on without relying on gambling firms to back their clubs:
“Family and community are at the heart of Drogheda United and, as a club, we try to maintain values that improve the lives of our supporters where we can.”
Hoey cited the club’s personal experience with gambling which has prompted the organization to move past such partnerships. “We have seen the damage that gambling addiction can do to individuals and their families,” he added.
Similarly, he expressed concerns that soccer has been increasingly equated to gambling and vice versa. He suggested that the influx of celebrities and prominent players endorsing gambling firms has exacerbated the issue:
“We want to see this trend reversed in the UK and we want to stop it before it takes over the League of Ireland,” Hoey continued. Ultimately Drogheda United FC wants to serve as an inspirational story to others in the national soccer league and hopes that more clubs will follow its example.
