Alcohol name off Everton shirts for children

Jun 5 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON will become the first English club to completely strike alcohol sponsorship from their shirts today.

The club officially launches its new kit for the 2008-09 season with the logo of Thai beer company Chang removed from all junior replica shirts and items from the training range.

“Everton is leading the way by becoming the first English club to remove alcohol branding from all children’s replica sports shirts,” said David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, who recommended the action. “No drinks company would deliberately set out to target children, it’s an unwanted side-effect of sports sponsorship.

“Hopefully, fans will appreciate why the industry does not want children to be viewed as walking billboards for their drinks.”

The Portman Group’s Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks was introduced in 1996.

The code, which is supported throughout the industry, seeks to ensure that drinks are marketed in a socially responsible way and to an adult audience only.

Everton chief executive Keith Wyness said: “As a Premier League football club we are all too aware of our social responsibility, especially towards our younger supporters, and we are only too pleased to adopt this policy for the new season.”

Liverpool currently offer buyers of their junior kits a choice of shirts with or without the Carlsberg logo.