Cheers and fears... SPFL's sponsorship deal with Carling is criticised by alcohol campaigners who claim it should have been rejected
The SPFL have been criticised and branded out of touch after unveiling Carling as the official beer of Scottish football.
A new sponsorship deal will run until 2027 and will see the Carling brand represented at Scottish Premiership matches, as well as in the Premier Sports Cup.
Carling had previously been the title jersey sponsor for both Rangers and Celtic, with those deals finishing back in 2010, as well as having a tie-up with the Scottish national team.
But the move has been criticised, with a recent survey finding that Scottish football fans are being ‘exposed to a high level of alcohol marketing’ at games across the country.
Carling backed both sides of the Old Firm over 14 years ago, when Gordon Strachan and Alex McLeish were the respective managers
Carling was also a big sponsor of English football, with their name on the League Cup
Neil Doncaster hailed the new deal with Carling but it hasn't been universally welcomed
The Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) said the more fans are exposed to mass marketing of alcohol, the more it is consumed.
After the deal with Carling was announced, Dr Peter Rice, chair of SHAAP, said: ‘The SPFL are showing how out of step they are by signing a deal to mass market a lager brand to football fans.
‘All the evidence shows that the more we are exposed to mass marketing of this sort, the more alcohol is consumed and therefore the more damage to our health is done.
‘And right now Scotland is in the grip of an alcohol public health crisis that needs to be addressed — encouraging people to consume more is not the answer.
‘This lack of duty of care to fans flies in the face of our research which shows that while many football fans recognise the need to generate income for Scottish football, there is not so much appetite for that income to come from the alcohol industry, with many fans supporting the decision of Scottish Women’s Football to reject alcohol sponsorship.
‘Instead of relying on health harming industries for money, it really is time for sporting authorities such as the SPFL to make a break with the past, aim a bit higher, and broker sponsorship deals with industries that do not harm the health and wellbeing of the very fans they should be looking out for.’
The SPFL’s new deal with Carling comes at a time when the issue of alcohol at football matches in Scotland has once again been a hot topic in recent weeks.
Just last week, First Minister John Swinney insisted the SNP Government have no plans to lift the ban on alcohol at football matches in Scotland.
The legislation was introduced back in 1980 after the disgraceful riots which followed that year’s Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden.
It had been suggested by some MSPs, even those within Swinney’s own party, that the ban could be set to be lifted. But the SNP leader swiftly quashed those suggestions, meaning that the ban is likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster insisted that he was delighted with the new deal to bring Carling onboard.
‘It is fantastic news to welcome Molson Coors and Carling as an official partner of the SPFL,’ said Doncaster.
‘Carling has a rich history of supporting Scottish football and this new association with such a respected UK brand comes at an exciting time for the league and our member clubs.
‘We are very much looking forward to working with the Carling team for the next three seasons and, hopefully, beyond.’
