Paddy Power to 'unsponsor' Motherwell FC as it continues 'Save Our Shirt' drive
After causing a stir last week when it sponsored (and then "unsponsored") Huddersfield Town as part of a clever PR stunt designed to return the "sacred" football shirt back to fans and away from advertisers, Paddy Power has inked a similar deal with Motherwell FC.
Paddy Power has revealed itself as the official 'unsponsor' of Motherwell FC / Paddy Power
The bookmaker has revealed it will back the Scottish Premiership side as title sponsor this season, but its logo won't feature on the club's kit.
The partnership makes Motherwell the second team to sign up to Paddy Power's wider 'Save Our Shirts' campaign, in which it is calling on brands to stop sponsoring football shirts – including competitors.
Last week, the betting shop received a lot of flack online after revealing a "bold" kit design for Huddersfield Town. The shirt featured the Paddy Power logo prominently emblazoned in a sash-style motif across the front of the shirt, drawing derision from fans as "the worst kit of all time". It was not only widely mocked but also in breach of FA guidelines.
However, on Friday (19 July) the brand revealed it was to “unsponsor” the team and relinquish its space on the front of the Huddersfield Town shirt, encouraging other advertisers to do the same.
Financial details of the Paddy Power-Motherwell deal weren't disclosed, but the club's chairman Jim McMahon said it was its "biggest shirt sponsorship in history".
A Paddy Power spokesman said: “We’re delighted that The Well are joining in the fun for the upcoming campaign and we’ve been impressed with their ability to keep their involvement top secret, despite all the noise of the past week.
“We’ve been planning this with them for months, and it feels great to finally unveil their involvement and their beautiful home and away kits for next season.”