The global pandemic has been disastrous for many clubs up and down the football pyramid. Non-league football is no exception, and now more than ever to continue it must be supported by brands and businesses because the revenue generated by ticket sales isn't enough to keep the league going. This has led to desperate clubs looking for cash injections via any means necessary, and one controversial solution has been investment from betting and gaming companies – one example is the recent investment by global sports betting company Entain.
Entain is the gaming operator behind the likes of Coral and Ladbrokes who've recently made an investment of £150,000 to the Trident Community Foundation (“TCF”), which runs a number of football-based community projects.
Why the Controversy?
Non-league teams have relied on investment from third parties for a number of years now, as their matches simply don't capture the same audience numbers and interest as things such as the Premier League. However, for many people involved in the grassroots of football, accepting investment from big names in sport might be a conundrum. After all, investment has to be positive and something that many fans would like to get behind – recent data from Statista shows that 37% of Premier League fans think there are too many betting sponsors in football. But then, non-league isn't about the bells and whistles of football like the Premier League and doesn't have the luxury of falling back on a wide range of other brands. So, whilst being supported by the likes of Ladbrokes and Coral might be a bit of a sticking point for a lot of fans, there's less choice in the way of alternatives.
Most of us know by now that pretty much every industry was affected by the events of 2020 and football is certainly no exception. Players and teams involved in big-brand football such as the World Cup and the Premier League may well have their own way to raise extra funds and keep things ticking over. This is not something that non-league football would have had the privilege of.
Many teams will rely on funds brought in from each and every match – so to have a year where pretty much every football match was cancelled would have hit them hard. That is why for some the investment is more important than ever and why other football fans might be a little less fussy about where their investments come from.
Entain first got involved in non-league football in 2020. They were a founding partner for the Trident Community Foundation in December 2020, where they a £150,000 donation. The idea behind the foundation is to ensure there are sustainable community football programmes in operation throughout the UK – during the 2020/2021 season 27 grants were made to clubs. The program aims to help young people to play football but also to expand things like coaching, women's football and sessions on health and well-being.
Why are companies like Entain making such donations – what's in it for them and what is the perception when many are calling for betting operators to start restricting their advertising in the sport?
Why Has Entain Invested?
There is no doubt about it, when any big company makes a public donation a big part of that will be because of the publicity that it is likely to generate. After all, who doesn't want to hear about big, rich companies helping out the little people? Although Entain is unlikely to admit it was for pr reasons and the idea of sportswashing, this is likely to be a big part of their decision.
However, a part of it will also be about keeping the game of football alive and kicking. With the current betting regulations in the UK, it is in the long-term interest of sports betting companies for the game to be healthy across all tiers. It is all well and good England entering the World Cup and players striving to be part of things like the Premier League, but we should be doing what we can to nurture young talent. Grassroots football is where lots of players start off – with kick bouts in the park and football matches with their friends. From here a small handful of them will go off and become professional football players. Entain and companies like them will want to see more of this – so that in years to come we can have a solid team to enter the World Cup with, for example. Of course, this investment is something that will benefit sports betting companies in the future – because when we have a decent team worth supporting, people are much more likely to want to spend their money placing bets on different football matches. When you consider that Entain's portfolio includes Coral and Ladbrokes amongst others on this full list of betting apps you can trust, it makes sense that they are supporting the sport from the ground up.
The Future of Non-League Football
The truth is that no one really knows what the future holds for any industry at the moment. The events of 2020 and the start of 2021 had a big dent on things for many of us and we're still waiting to see how various industries recover. However, that said realistically grassroots football has been around forever and even without big money budgets and investments it is something that is likely to continue.
Of course, donations by companies such as Entain are well received because they allow non-league football to continue in a way that is about more than just football matches that people can attend. With real investment, the people behind grassroots football can do more with the game and ensure that it is accessible to so many more people. Poorer areas often struggle with children that can afford football boots or being able to pay for a venue etc. One step is grants being on offer and other wider investments in the game at youth and non-league level, but these can often be hard to come by – that's why some may be more willing to accept Entain's financing than before.
