Everton slated over sponsor

EVERTON have been slammed as ‘tone deaf’ after announcing a gambling firm as their new shirt sponsor.

The Toffees have signed a club-record deal with Stake.com worth more than £10million a year. That is despite a ban on gambling shirt sponsors in the Premier League being included on a draft Government white paper, scheduled to be published later this month. ‘Gambling sponsorship is unpopular, unhealthy and on its way out of football. So for Everton to announce this partnership now is massively tone deaf,’ said James Grimes, founder of campaign group The Big Step. Government sources also described Everton’s decision as a ‘strategic error’, as they prepare to announce plans to reform the gambling industry.