Glory gets new sponsor
Soccer club Perth Glory has dumped its fast food and soft drink sponsorship in exchange for $500,000 in taxpayers' money to promote anti-obesity messages.
The deal, due to be announced today, will result in the team getting up to $250,000 a year in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 A-League seasons from State Government-funded Healthway to advertise the Heart Foundation's LiveLighter campaign.
It follows a seven-year hiatus when Glory missed out on Healthway money it had previously received because it started being sponsored by fast-food chain Chicken Treat and Schweppes soft drink Solo.
Under the deal, Perth Glory will forgo sponsorship promoting junk food or alcohol and its continuing agreement with Schweppes can only promote bottled water.
The team's players will carry the LiveLighter message on the back of their shirts and advertise it through stadium signs, promotions at two home games, plus logos on all marketing material.
The anti-fat message will also be marketed through its Youth League team.
Though the agreement will not outlaw fast food and full-strength beer sales at Glory games at nib Stadium, it will be a requirement that healthier options are also available and soft-drink promotion restricted to point of sale.
Healthway board chairwoman Rosanna Capolingua said soccer was one of the fastest growing sports among young people and Perth Glory was the latest in a growing number of clubs to move away from unhealthy sponsors.
"They deserve credit for being prepared to leave junk-food promotions behind to promote the LiveLighter health message, which aims to encourage West Australians to live a healthier lifestyle," Dr Capolingua said. "Recent research at the University of WA has found that more than seven out of 10 people who attends a Healthway-sponsored event are aware of the health message promoted there and one in every six people who attends takes relevant action to improve their health as a result."
Glory owner Tony Sage said there was mounting concern about obesity, particularly in children, and Glory players were lean and trim because they were careful about what they ate.
He said though the team appreciated its past sponsors, it was time to move in a new direction.
"In the end, every professional sport needs sponsorship and we don't begrudge our previous sponsors but I started raising concerns about childhood obesity a few years ago and it's become a huge issue," Mr Sage said.
"In 20 years time one of the biggest crises this country will face will be the impact of so many people being severely overweight, so if we can do something to try to prevent that, I think we have a responsibility to do so.
"We have more juniors than the rugby league, the rugby union and the AFL and a lot more girls play soccer, too, so this is a great way to get the message across to all ages."
