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Hammers could be forced to find new shirt sponsor

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Calls are growing for Premier League clubs to ditch their reliance on gambling company sponsorship.

On Wednesday campaigners delivered a letter to the prime minister calling for an end to gambling sponsorship in football.

Gambling with Lives and The Big Step say football’s relationship with betting is now at “saturation point”.

Of the 44 teams in the Premier League and Championship, 27 feature a betting company on their shirts.

There are 430,000 problem gamblers in the UK, with a further two million people at risk, according to the Gambling Commission.

New sports minister Nigel Adams told BBC Sport in January that football has “far too much dependency” on betting sponsorship and said there would be a review of the Gambling Act 2005. In 2018, Britain’s biggest gambling companies voluntarily agreed to a “whistle-to-whistle” television advertising ban.

Former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams says football needs to cut its ties with gambling companies.

Adams’ charity Sporting Chance, which supports athletes with mental health and addiction issues, says 70% of the addiction disorders it deals with among footballers relate to gambling. Adams launched the charity in 2000 after himself battling alcoholism.

Last year West Ham announced an extension of their shirt sponsorship deal with Betway until 2025. The new deal has been described as a ‘record’ for the online bookmaker, exceeding the contract Betway previously signed with the Premier League club in 2015 and then extended in 2016 through 2020. The first year of that deal was worth £6 million but the extension saw West Ham earn a reported £10 million a season.

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I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called Moore Than Just a Podcast A Blogger on West Ham Till I die a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball,

I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh.

Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons!

Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

28 comments

  • Razorwine says:

    Spot on wo jo 1974. Nice to see imo someone who looks at the complete picture my son

  • John Cooper says:

    Perhaps Spillers could sponsor the Hammers, perhaps not!
    They produce Winalot don’t they? not really appropriate.

  • Saul says:

    I totally agree with this ban too. For those saying advertising does nothing to promote the product, ask yourselves this: Why do companies spend millions on advertising? Pretty bloody simple answer really. To those who say advertising doesn’t affect them. I say nonsense. We are all affected, most of us subliminally.

    I studied marketing and advertising and i was amazed to learn about the ridiculous sums spent on understanding psychology and behavioural attitudes and patterns. All of those kids watching games; they’re the ones that the companies really want on board, they’re the passengers on the gravy train of destruction and destitution, so to speak. Gambling is an addiction that destroys lives. As a society we should be steering clear of promoting such nefarious activities and instead promote more positive products/lifestyles.

  • Ian says:

    Load of rubbish that having a betting firm name splashed on the shirt makes you wanna go and bet, I’ve brought the shirts with it on and the only gambling I do is the Lottery and only if its a massive euro millions jackpot as I’m greedy but if the national lottery was advertised on the shirt it wouldn’t make me spend more or do it more often. If a person that has gambling problems wants to gamble taking the advertising away won’t stop them shutting pubs down doesn’t stop an alcoholic getting and having any alcohol.

    • Razorwine says:

      Good luck with the euro though greedy one 😉

    • Wayne Peacock says:

      Why have Betway agreed to a new £10m a season shirt sponsorship if it doesn’t work? TEN MILLION POUNDS!

      Basically, because putting their name on the shirts brings in significantly MORE than £10m to them. Otherwise, why do it?

      This is how advertising works. Businesses don’t throw their money away. It ain’t rocket science.

  • mooro66uk says:

    We are fast becoming a nanny state. Can’t say this, can’t have that, not allowed to do that. Where does it stop?
    How many Manc fans have bought a Chevrolet? How many Chelsea fans have changed their tyres over for Yokohamas?
    If you have an addictive nature you will become addicted to whatever you will give in to. Will we make our high streets cover up shop signs? There’s a betting shop on every corner where I live but I’ve hardly had a bet for years. If your gonna bet your gonna bet. Taking Betway off of our shirts will do zilch to dissuade anybody.

  • Wjo1974 says:

    This is going to be incredibly unpopular but I believe this is ridiculous.
    Should we ban getting sponsored by ASTON MARTIN as I can’t afford one so might go out robbing to get the money for one?
    Should we not agree to a potential huge sponsorship deal from McDonalds cos it makes Kids fat? Take some responsibility for your own actions.
    Every sponsorship or advert is trying to remove you from your money and yes I know this is classed as an addiction but if you are a gambler you are a gambler and I doubt very much your decision to place a bet is driven by seeing Betway on a shirt. Yes it might make you choose Betway over William Hill but it wont influence your choice to place a bet.

    • Wayne Peacock says:

      It’s about stopping enticing people, including kids, who aren’t gamblers to gamble. Same reason why advertising smoking was banned.

      Nobody will suffer without gambing being advertised. Some will if it continues to be.

  • Razorwine says:

    Sorry but as a gambler myself and ex bookie koi really disagree with what Adams says. If you remove shirt sponsors for any gambling do you really think it will stop people who are either addicted or just want to have a bet? It’s like stopping alcohol adverts or putting prices up it won’t do a thing if you want to drink or your an addicted person. All it will do is stop enjoyment for those that enjoy these things the majority of us are quite capable of knowing when to stop and paying even more to have this in our lives. Those with addictions need help but putting prices up and banning advertising on shirts will do f all to help them or others in life. Complete freedom of choice must always be our aim in our country. Just look at drugs taken now with no advertising and being illegal. It’s because people want to do it and pay whatever the cost is even knowing it’s not good for your body. Some get addicted and others are just going through their stage of life period all nothing to do with advertising on any shirt billboard or advert. Imo

    • Wayne Peacock says:

      Children see “Betway” on the shirt and ask daddy what it is. Older kids will Google it.

      How does it stop your enjoyment if it was removed? Really?

  • Graham says:

    I get the banning of advertising during a game, as companies like bet365 used to offer you in game odds to try and entice you to have a bet, but I don’t really see the fact their name is written on a shirt making much difference. I often have a bet, but I’ve never used betway and it’s been written on our shirts for a few years so has had zero impact on me whatsoever.

  • The Honest Friend says:

    Gambling should be banned in the UK completely. Unfortunately it would only advance the rise of crime, to facilitate those with a taste for it.

  • Neil says:

    sure we would be a good fit for cirqe du soleil

  • Michael says:

    Great news! Gambling sponsorship is a stain on professional sport around the world, so it would be great for the UK to take the lead given how prolific it is in football

  • Richard Clark says:

    Perhaps winalot can sponsor us…..

    • Razorwine says:

      By the way your site gets alot of stick from whtid members and now the owner ian dale who has got alot of members on his to be fair good site he created years ago is asking for money from them and most are actually giving it too. Why i dont know ? i totally think not because of his politics or as a person I admit I wouldn’t want to be friends with his attitude on life’s problems but to charge people who like myself just tried to let off steam or praise the players or even get rid of some and the board it’s only opinions! Why your site got some stick I know was because your associated with being a boards view whether this is correct or false but I must admit you do let opposite views displayed and I don’t find many comments abusing others on here like whtid tends to if they disagree with others.. All opinions should be viewed and respected without personal abuse to others on the site . Imo

      • micky out out says:

        What utter nonsence razorwine , iain Dale is’nt charging fans , he crowdfunded the upgrade of his site , no one was forced to contribute or put under any pressure so to do ,i saw your politicaly motivated rant at him on whtid and quite frankly it was embarasing , you’re now trying cause inter forum trouble by aledging that claret and hugh gets a lot of stick from posters on there , i have seen some but mostly it is in jest , i’m sure hugh will see your post for what it is . Keep up the good work Claret and Hugh .

      • Lurker ahoy says:

        I disagree with you.

        First, in the past there have been comments made about C&H and WHTID by both sites but it’s been fine for quite a while with and a cease fire was declared and I’d say, it’s been fine for quite a while now as both sites’ moderators have put a stop to anything if it looked like getting out of hand.

        Second, Iain asked for money as “the technology is creaking and it needs a complete rebuild and redesign and to be put on a new server … Up to now I’ve managed to either fund the site myself or abuse the good will of my friendly web designer”. He has so far funded his ADVERT-FREE site himself so we, including you, can all chat about all things WHU and other things that concern other posters for free. This has created a community and also, I would’ve thought that actually paying the person who’s put all the work into building the site would be something of which any socialist would approve?

        • Razorwine says:

          Nicely put lurked ahoy respectfully I see your point but still disagree. Three points sat though I’m sure we will agree on eh !

      • Roy Clark says:

        What utter nonsense.
        So, reading between the lines, you want someone else to pay for your enjoyment and for you to write the idiocies that you do (I have seen them).
        Why should Iain Dale (or anyone else for that matter) fund your enjoyment?
        As you well know, if you would just remove your prejudices for a moment, this was a crowd funding exercise because – a big surprise to you, obviously – these sites actually cost monet to se up and run and for several years now Iain Dale has funded it out of his own pocket.

        • Razorwine says:

          You see idiots in your opinion is fine in my opinion it’s others that earn that right it’s called having your opinion Roy try thinking your not the right opinion and there are others that also might not be the right opinion but all are needed in a free country. And asking for 5k is called charging whether you like it or not as if not reached will be closed down, many want it to stay so they pay good luck to them and the site but my cash goes to places where there is no clean water in 2020 not football sites run by someone thinking differently to me. Let’s all hope we get three points sat that’s what’s needed right now . Imo

          • Wayne Peacock says:

            Asking is not charging. If you conflate the two and cannot/will not understand the difference then your opinion is worthless. People ask for money all the time. You don’t have to give it to them. Charging is taking money in order to provide services or goods. There, I’ve explained it for you.

            A homeless person is not charging you when they all for memory to help them.

          • Wayne Peacock says:

            That should say “when they ask for money”.

  • rollercoasterhammer says:

    i think this is great and have had the opinion that gambling companies should be banned from sponsoring sports teams for a while now. it is the sole reason i do not own a west ham shirt. the last shirt i had was the soiled sbobet relegation shirt of 2010. wish i hadn’t bought it now

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