Robins Extend MansionBet Partnership
Bristol City FC has announced that it has extended its partnership with MansionBet for another year. The sports betting platform will continue as principal partner and shirt sponsor for the club’s 2021/22 campaign. The announcement was made as the Robins unveiled their new away kit.
Bristol City’s new away shirts took inspiration from the city’s colorful streets. ©Shauking/Pixabay
Second Year of Sponsorship
Bristol City football club has confirmed that it will continue its partnership with leading sports betting operator MansionBet for the upcoming season. MansionBet will continue to act as the club’s principal partner for City’s 2021/22 campaign. Following on from the success of their sponsorship so far, the operator will also feature on this season’s new home and away shirts.
MansionBet, the sports betting branch of the Mansion Group, has been popular amongst punters ever since its launch in 2018. It prides itself on offering customers a broad range of sports markets, accessible via both desktop and mobile. With its strong ties to football, MansionBet has proven to be a great choice for Bristol City FC.
In the past, Mansion Group has held a number of high-profile partnerships with some of the UK’s top football clubs. These include Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth. The operator is currently the betting partner of both Newcastle United and Millwall, alongside its partnership with Bristol City.
In a press release, MansionBet said that it was thrilled to continue its sponsorship of Bristol City for another year. As the club’s principal partner and official betting partner, Bristol fans will benefit from special giveaways and “money can’t buy” competition prizes.
Dana Bocker, Head of Integrated Marketing at Mansion, explained that they had enjoyed an eventful first season with Bristol City. A localized Bristol campaign was successful in boosting brand awareness as well as positive fan engagement. She went further, adding:
“We’re looking forward to getting back into the stadium for the 2021/22 season and connecting with fans on a more personal level, showing our support for both the club and its loyal supporters through a number of exciting initiatives.”
New Away Kit
The football club is affectionately known as the Robins to fans, due to its home colors of red and white. The robin featured on the club’s badge from 1976 until 1994, and was reinstated to the delight of fans in 2019. Bristol City currently plays in the EFL Championship, in the second tier of the football pyramid.
Head of Commercial at Bristol Sport Group, Justine Kebby, was happy to welcome MansionBet to the club for another season. The deal will mean continued support for the club as well as its loyal fanbase. Kebby also spoke about MansionBet’s credentials, and the importance of teaming up with a responsible operator. Kebby said:
“With nearly two decades of industry experience and a long tradition of sport sponsorship, MansionBet bring a huge amount of expertise and creativity to this partnership. MansionBet also take an incredibly responsible approach to gambling and have won several awards including Best Customer Service Company of the Year (2020) at the International Gaming Awards and Most Responsible Online Gambling Operator (2018).”
Bristol City has emphasized that it is committed to promoting responsible gambling. As such, the MansionBet logo will feature on the club’s home and away kits, but not on youth kits. The club has announced that players will be wearing a new away kit this season, that it has designed with its technical partner, Hummel.
The all-black kit features the club’s robin crest in the center, with MansionBet’s logo sitting just below. On the shoulders are white chevrons and on the sleeves is cyan blue piping. Referencing Bristol’s colorful city, in particular the vibrant houses of Totterdown, a pattern of pastel-colored vertical lines is printed on the lower half of the shirt.
Other unique touches include the slogan “One for the Bristol City” printed on the inner back hem, as well as “BCFC” on the back of the neck. The shirts aim to be environmentally friendly, using Hummel’s ECO8 garment technology. Up to eight recycled bottles are used in the making of each polyester shirt. Fans can purchase the kits online and at Bristol Sport Store.
Calls for Ban on Gambling Shirt Sponsors
Despite assurances that it will only promote responsible gambling, some fans may not be happy to learn that Bristol City FC has extended its partnership with MansionBet. Critics say that that there are too many gambling ads in football and there have been calls for a ban on gambling firms sponsoring football players’ shirts.
As a result, clubs have been forced to make tricky decisions regarding sponsorship. On the one hand, partnerships with betting operators are falling out of favor and proving unpopular amongst fans. Most recently, Norwich City dropped its deal with Asian operator BK8 after just three days. Fans protested the firm’s use sexualized images of young women in its marketing materials.
On the other hand, the coronavirus pandemic has created serious financial shortfalls for many clubs, which they must deal with somehow. As far as sponsorships go, gambling operators are able to offer by far the most lucrative deals. The EFL has defended gambling sponsorships, on the basis that the revenue generated is vital and that collaboration to prevent gambling harms is better than a ban.
Last year a House of Lords Select Committee recommended a ban on gambling firms sponsoring the shirts of teams below the Premier League from 2023. That recommendation is being assessed by the government, which is currently reviewing the 2005 Gambling Act. Big changes are expected to bring laws up to date with the digital age, and a white paper is set to be published at the end of this year.
Earlier this year, Bristol City Council announced that it had taken it on itself to ban adverts for fast food, alcohol, pay-day loans and gambling. The ban prohibits these kinds of products from being promoted on the city’s bus shelters, digital screens and billboards. It has been estimated that the council could lose up to £150,000 in revenue, but will make gains in public health.
