Kits 25/26

[Toronto Villa]

I’m not really fussed. Everything needs to be managed appropriately and some people are challenged whatever their particular weakness. Alcohol is just as damaging as smoking but that gets promoted all over the place across sports. I don’t think sticking Betano on a shirt makes most people suddenly go out and gamble any more than Carlsberg or Ansells makes most grab a pint immediately. Unfortunately many people have genuine difficulties and vulnerabilities whatever the vice and they need help.

[PeterWithesShin]

I saw and heard of so many that were fucking up their lives when I was gambling. I'd get a taxi from where I was and it was always the same taxi firm from the establishments and the driver would ask how your night had been etc and then say someone earlier had cried all the way home as they'd done their rent/mortgage, bills etc and were fucked.

[Toronto Villa]

I saw and heard of so many that were fucking up their lives when I was gambling. I'd get a taxi from where I was and it was always the same taxi firm from the establishments and the driver would ask how your night had been etc and then say someone earlier had cried all the way home as they'd done their rent/mortgage, bills etc and were fucked.

No doubt it is incredibly sad. But you could apply that to loads of things too that have got the better of people with an inability to control their vices. And the hypocrisy is sports embraces gambling everywhere but it’s an issue as a shirt sponsor. I’m happy us not having one, let’s be clear, but the alternatives, whoever they are outside of charities, have their darker sides.

[PeterWithesShin]

No corporate sponsor is perfect, most don't have an entire business model based on addiction and losing money though. And as I said, i'd be happy for all gambling advertising to be banned.

[Ian.]

Why are people excited about a sponsor?

Sponsors don’t bother me too much, but when you see West Ham with Boyle Sports it does look a bit Sunday league.

[cdbearsfan]

If we are pearl-clutching about gambling, cars are likely to do far more damage to the planet.

Yeah, but I don't know anyone who lost the housekeeping money because a company exploited his addiction to cars.

Lots of people have, literally, been killed by cars, though. Millions may die as a result of humanity's addiction to them.

[PeterWithesShin]

Over 2m people in the UK are estimated to have gambling problems. I reckon the number of people addicted to spending all their money on cars is a tad lower.

[cdbearsfan]

14.5 million deaths is still bad.

https://www.weforum.org/press/2024/01/wef24-climate-crisis-health/

[Smirker]

Why are people excited about a sponsor?

Moolah and prestige.

Yanited had Chevrolet, Audi would be a step up whist we wait for Aston Martin to come to the table..

This 

[PeterWithesShin]

Difference is vehicles are a necessity, gambling isn't. We can argue if that's good or bad but they are a necessity. Food production, technology and many other basic things are negatively impacting the enviroment but they are in no way comparable to gambling though.

[cdbearsfan]

They're a necessity because of a century of under-investment in alternative forms of transport. And people can still drive electric cars. I don't see why we should be angry about promoting one set of deaths but not bothered about promoting another. And I don't see why people are giddy with excitement about promoting a German multinational.

[algy]

I love this forum, and more importantly the people who post here.  I truly do

--

If we are pearl-clutching about gambling, cars are likely to do far more damage to the planet.

I don't disagree whatsoever.  However, there's only a very small number of companies that sponsor football clubs AND don't have any awkward moral issues around them.  I just think gambling has a far more obvious link to destroying people's lives.  I'd also rather we didn't advertise alcohol for exactly the same reason, or indeed anything along those lines.  I don't see as it's sensible to do some kind of prohibition type stuff on that, it'd just drive people to dealing with criminals who necessarily will be even harder to ensure we put some kind of harm reduction in place.  But we can stop normalising it.

Cars ... yeah, as I'd said I don't disagree at all.  I don't own a car, I've never owned a car, I never intend to own a car.  I think there's absolutely no need for 99% of the population to require their own personal transport.  However, I think we should deal with individual problems rather than getting caught up in the whataboutery of different industries and their detrimental effect on the world as a whole.   

[cdbearsfan]

Fair enough. I'm not going to upset you again after Listgate. 🙂

[paul_e]

I love this forum, and more importantly the people who post here.  I truly do

--

If we are pearl-clutching about gambling, cars are likely to do far more damage to the planet.

I don't disagree whatsoever.  However, there's only a very small number of companies that sponsor football clubs AND don't have any awkward moral issues around them.  I just think gambling has a far more obvious link to destroying people's lives.  I'd also rather we didn't advertise alcohol for exactly the same reason, or indeed anything along those lines.  I don't see as it's sensible to do some kind of prohibition type stuff on that, it'd just drive people to dealing with criminals who necessarily will be even harder to ensure we put some kind of harm reduction in place.  But we can stop normalising it.

Cars ... yeah, as I'd said I don't disagree at all.  I don't own a car, I've never owned a car, I never intend to own a car.  I think there's absolutely no need for 99% of the population to require their own personal transport.  However, I think we should deal with individual problems rather than getting caught up in the whataboutery of different industries and their detrimental effect on the world as a whole.   

Amen brother, If we could normalise this attitude towards cars I think you'd solve a huge number of problems in the UK very quickly but getting people to put down the car keys is going to be very difficult.

[DC1874]

You've never tried to use public transport in North Warwickshire then?!? "Rare" and "Expensive" are the two words that come to mind! If only all of the UK was like Greater London?