Glasgow City FC backs campaign to end alcohol sponsorship in sports
The Calling Time campaign says sponsorship contributes to the alcohol crisis in Scotland
Some of Scotland's biggest names in women's football are supporting a campaign to end alcohol sponsorship in sport.
Glasgow City FC has shown their backing for the ‘Calling Time’ campaign, led by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP).
It calls on the Scottish Government to implement a ban on alcohol sponsorship across all sport.
'Calling Time'
The campaign was launched on the back of a report which revealed that Scotland was the country with the second highest proportion of alcohol sports sponsors across ten top-flight football leagues in Europe.
Every day in Scotland, almost 100 people are hospitalised and 3 people die from alcohol related illnesses.
The Calling Time campaign aims to remove "harmful exposure" of alcohol marketing in sports, as a means to "protect the public".
Glasgow City supports the campaign alongside other Scottish women’s football teams, including Boroughmuir Thistle and Stenhousemuir.
It also has backing from supporter organisations, medical bodies, education institutes, and charities.
'Delighted to show support'
Glasgow City chief executive Laura Montgomery told Clyde News she has not worked with any brands promoting drinks for years.
She said: “Glasgow City are absolutely delighted to show our full support to SHAAP’s Calling Time campaign.
“As a club, our entire ethos is built around championing women and girls and we see no place for alcohol sponsorship at our matches or indeed at any football matches.
"I think football has a huge responsibility, we do influence a lot of people who look to us for guidance."
She added that it does not stop the club from making money: "Whilst you can say you've enjoyed that level of revenue before and it disappears, we've had this sort of situation before with tobacco.
"We're probably about to do something similar with gambling.
"Women's football attracts a large number of families, our own academy has up to 250 young girls playing.
"So whilst football won't always get it right, we strongly feel that we should, where we can, be as positive an influence as possible.
“We want to get more people active, fit and healthy. We know our game attracts families and young people and our role as a club is to be a positive influence on our followers the best that we can.
“In no way does alcohol promotion align with this and we hope as many other clubs as possible sign up to back the campaign.”
'Repair broken relationship with alcohol'
Elinor Jayne, director of SHAAP, said: “We need to see reasonable, evidenced measures such as a ban on sports sponsorship taken forward to repair our broken relationship with alcohol.
“I commend Glasgow City FC for their principled stance to reject alcohol sponsorship and we are proud to partnering with them on our Calling Time campaign.
“Football and sports clubs must recognise their responsibility to fans and the wider public to end the promotion of health harming commodities such as alcohol.
“Alcohol marketing directly influences how much and how often people consume alcohol and has no place in sport, particularly in a nation facing a crisis with alcohol.
“Individuals who share our call to action should write to their MSPs using the function on our website. It takes less than a minute.”