Betway in grassroots football initiative

Internet gambling group Betway has launched an initiative to support grassroots football in the UK, offering team kits and an online support community to 5-a-side and 11-a-side teams throughout the country.

In a partnership with Toga Sports, a provider of amateur football kits, a new website www.grassrootsfc.com has been launched, offering teams the chance to get their hands on new, branded team kits, as well as offering information on where to play, details of leagues around the country and information on how to set up a new team. Players are then able to set up team profiles and review fixtures and league tables.

Betway, which currently sponsors the Trinity Mirror fantasy football league, has over 10,000 full team kits of shirts, shorts and socks, to donate, a spokesman said Thursday.

To get a new team kit, team members sign up, choose a kit design and colour, deposit a minimum of GBP 20 and stake a minimum of GBP 60 at Betway.com.

The promotion will eventually also include balls and other merchandise, with a national tournament based on regional heats in the pipeline and scheduled for launch in 2013.

Jas Deol, head of sports at Betway, said: “We believe this is a fantastic opportunity to promote the amateur game. We’re aiming not just to help teams get free kits, but to become a central hub of information, offering a place for amateur football teams to manage their fixtures, results and profile in one convenient place.

“Grassroots football in the UK needs a boost, and we’re delighted to partner with Toga Sports and Football Mitoo in making it as easy as possible for teams to get playing.”

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