NO BOOKMAKER BRANDING AT TRIDENT GROUNDS

THE TRIDENT Leagues – Northern Premier League, Southern League and Isthmian League – have secured a multi-million pound investment programme that will see them take the title of Pitching In.

GVC Holdings – the group behind bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral – are behind the unique partnership that has been designed to support and promote grass-roots football.

In contrast to the previous deal with BetVictor – that lasted one season and drew criticism – there will be no promotion of the betting brands and, other than the Pitching In programme, there will be no branding at grounds.

Instead, as well as financial support amid the pandemic, the cross-league partnership will allow clubs to draw funding to support community initiatives and encourage volunteers to their local Non-League club.

In a joint statement, the three leagues – Nick Robinson (chairman, Isthmian), Mark Harris (chairman, Northern Premier) and Anthony Hughes (vicechairman, Southern League) welcomed their new partners.

“Community is at the heart of Non-League football, so the Pitching In partnership is a perfect fit for us. GVC’s commitment to grass-roots sport is clear from their previous work, and this investment shows huge belief in the importance of grass-roots sport.”

GVC are one of the largest betting and gaming groups in the world with 24,000 employees across five continents. Their Sports Aid programmes have helped household names like Sir Mo Farah and Great Britain swimmer Adam Peaty.

The leagues admit they were concerned about replacing BetVictor, who exercised their break clause part-way through a two-year deal with an option for a third, back in March before coronavirus.

Compliance among clubs was an issue. They weren’t allowed to post photos of players under 25, for example, and some were uneasy with direct promotion of a betting sponsor.

Clubs were informed of the new Pitching In initiative in a Zoom call on Wednesday. GVC say they “will utilise its expertise and that of independent consultants to deliver extensive educational programmes on responsible gambling and sports integrity to all of the leagues’ clubs”.