Sponsor Boycott?

[Rich6by7]

I'm no fan of shirt sponsorship, but I accept it as a part of the game these days. We certainly seem to be doing well out of the Genting deal, but they can't count on me being an advert for them while wearing any Villa gear as I refuse to be an advert for a business I used to be employed in, but that I've seen wreck too many lives, almost including mine. But that's another story.

What I'm getting at is that, while sponsorship is necessary to compete financially (barring rare exceptions like our Acorns deal and that season when Albion had no sponsor), am I the only one to boycott products that have featured on the shirts of teams I dislike? As far as I'm concerned, and organisation that sees fit to put its name on Birmingham City's shirt is persona non grata, however recently I've had to bite the bullet twice- my new flat has a Triton shower, and I'm going to a wedding in Edinburgh in September, and the only airline that flies there from BHX is Flybe. So it's with gritted teeth that I make use of these products. I also refuse to use anything on Manchester United's shirts, although they tend to be sponsored by the kind of mega-company I would normally choose to avoid anyway.

On the other side of the coin, I never buy Muller yogurts because they aren't vegetarian (unlike me), I've never been in the market for a photocopier, AST don't make computers any more, I don't need investment products from DWS (Cows?) or FXPro, I can't drive so that rules out Rover and LDV, I've never been in the market for cable TV, I've never seen Davenports available since I've been old enough to drink (please tell me where I can get some if it's still being made) and I've already expressed my views on casinos. So our sponsors aren't exactly flavour of the Rich6by7 month either.

Anyone else out there got a grudge against companies or products purely because of which teams  they advertise with?

[Chipsticks]

To be brutally honest, I have never given the slightest thought to what team a company sponsor, I just go by how good the product/service is on it's own merit. It makes literally zero difference, aside from the occasional tiny satisfaction when I purchase something from a company related to Villa.

[spangley1812]

Life is to short for me to worry about such things I am afraid.............

[gervilla]

I do remember passing on purchasing a SHARP VCR a long time ago due to their past association with MAN UTD.
Other than that, nothing springs to mind.

[Sexual Ealing]

In recent years the Old Firm have tended to have the same sponsor, I guess for this very reason.

[Vancouver]

I'm same as not really giving it a thought. I'm sure that those sponsoring the Blues are probably trying to increase their profits until they can sponsor us

[Doorbell]

I avoid lots of brands based on moral grounds, animal testing, human rights abuses etc...it's the only power I have to implement change.

[junxs]

I don't gamble, don't believe it should be legal like as you say it ruins lives, therefore I won't be buying Villa kit and I didn't buy it whilst we had 32red sponsoring us either.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Rich6by7, in reply to your question about Davenports Beer, here you go........http://davenportsbeer.co.uk/

[Villan For Life]

As an ex-employee of Manure's current shirt sponsor, I can relate to what you post.

Prior to the Manure deal, we had a 3 year salary freeze; the employer contributions into my pension were slashed meaning that to maintain pension benefits I had to contribute an additional £250 per month. Then they announce that they're spending £80m to be Manure's new shirt sponsor. I left soon after; the Manure deal was the straw that broke the proverbial camels back.

To cap it all, all employees received a Manure shirt. That was given straight back without me touching it.

I don't have a problem with shirt sponsorship but the cuts that appeared to fund the Manure deal were sickening.

Oddly enough I should have stopped where I was but that's another story.

[Jimsta]

Not a problem for me, If you went into a bar would you drink the shittest pint there because it's the only one on tap that's not sponsored by a club in Britain.

[Dave]

I don't gamble, don't believe it should be legal like as you say it ruins lives

Lots of companies who sponsor football teams ruin lives in one way or another. Presumably alcohol and investments should be illegal as well?

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't gamble, don't believe it should be legal like as you say it ruins lives

Lots of companies who sponsor football teams ruin lives in one way or another. Presumably alcohol and investments should be illegal as well?

And if we're taking a really puritanical view of this, we'd certainly be having no truck with our owner, whose father made billions on the basis of encouraging credit card debt, frequently through reckless borrowing. The same credit cards people very often use to fund online gambling.

Then there's the ethics of us playing in the Barclays Premier League. It means you get to see things like this:



Bob Diamond and John Terry. What a duo.

[curiousorange]

I have to say, I follow the OP's logic here. It was a long time before I flew Flybe and one of their pilots is in my running club. He's a Villa fan and wasn't 100% happy being associated with them because of the Nose association. I still refuse to drink Carlsberg - my girlfriend thought it was ridiculous but she won't buy it now because she knows I have to force it down (plus it's crap anyway).

Given a fair choice I will always take the path away from a brand I associate with another side. But now everybody seems to be getting sponsored by investment firms and flash airlines, I don't think I'll be in too much bother.

[E I Adio]

No real problems with companies that sponsor shirts per se - In fact I never give it a thought, and I've only just realised that I bought a TV last year from Chelsea's shirt sponsor.

I do boycott companies for reasons that I think are important, so no Sky for me, or The Times or Sun newspapers, or indeed Tesco amongst a few others.

I'm sure it makes all the difference.