The Football Association (FA) has told an under-10s football team that it must end its sponsorship deal with Hooters.
In case you missed it, earlier this week Hooters Nottingham announced its sponsorship deal with Burton Joyce Football Club.
The move caused a bit of a stir online, with some people claiming the restaurant chain was ‘sexualising kids’ and questioning how the partnership was allowed in the first place.
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Announcing the partnership in a now-deleted Facebook post, Hooters Nottingham wrote: “Hooters Nottingham are proud to be the new sponsors of Burton Joyce U10s. We wish you all the luck this season boys. Go smash it.”
In response to the post, one person wrote: “Absolutely disgusting.”
While another said: “Definitely not creepy to imply sexuality amongst 9-year-old boys.”
Now, the FA has announced the sponsorship will not go ahead, adding that it is ‘working with the club to reinforce their understanding of the regulations’ of such sponsorships.
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In a statement, Nottinghamshire FA said: "The County FA had not been approached by the club seeking sanction for the sponsorship and had we have been, the request would have been declined in accordance with FA rules appertaining to the Kit and Advertising Regulations.
"From being made aware of the sponsorship we have been working with the club to reinforce their understanding of the regulations surrounding such sponsorship.
"We understand the difficult climate that grassroots football operates within and urge any club seeking investment from sponsorship that they are fully aware of the regulations or contact us for clarification."
Elaine Oram, senior safeguarding lead for Nottinghamshire FA, confirmed to the BBC that a letter had been sent to Burton Joyce FC under-10s telling the team that it needed to ‘cease the sponsorship deal’.
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When contacted by the BBC, Nottingham-based Burton Joyce FC said it would ‘be issuing a statement on this matter over the weekend’, while Hooters Nottingham declined to comment.
According to the FA’s kit advertising rules, under-18s teams must not include any ‘product, service or other activity which is considered by The Association as detrimental to the welfare, health or general interest of young persons, or is otherwise considered inappropriate, having regard to the age of the players or Match Officials’ - before citing numerous examples such as gambling and alcohol.
Hooters was founded in Clearwater, Florida, by businessmen Lynn D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Ed Droste, Billy Ranieri, Ken Wimmer and Dennis Johnson and now has hundreds of locations across the globe.
Claire Reid