Major new sponsorships bolster league

By John Sinclair

A FOOTBALL league has thanked five top businesses for new sponsorship following a tough pandemic spell.

The South Challenge Cup has secured financial backing from key Scottish firms that have championed local football. Having survived a harsh pandemic, the league needs some new sponsors now more than ever.

The first major business to commit its backing is heating giant Trade Radiators. Nic Auckland, director of the high-profile Glasgow-based radiator company, explained, “We are delighted to sponsor the Cup and show our commitment to local football.

“Sport brings people from different backgrounds and with different skills together and is an important part of our national heritage.”

Rangers legend, Ally McCoist, said: “Champions League is great – but nothing beats getting abuse from an old fella at Hamilton.”

McCoist was speaking on the importance of lower leagues in keeping the game of football alive in its most natural state. You can be sure that those who turn up to watch Cumbernauld Colts play University of Stirling are football fans at their most diehard.

Richard Osbourne, league spokesman, said: “It was a pleasure to arrange sponsors from Scottish, grassroots companies for the Cup this year.

“It is an honour to accept their sponsorship, and their support for the cup as well as all its teams is greatly appreciated.”

Junior football is in high gear, with fans now free to assemble again and with matches underway. The teams have been preparing hard for the new season, and that’s where these sponsorships come in and give the teams a real boost.

The fresh funding investments will support Scottish grassroots football and the greater community as a whole to thrive. They will ensure that the Cup continues to prosper and develop for the good of the communities in which the games are staged.

Sponsorship is very important in today’s football, nowhere more so than in the lower leagues, who naturally aren’t getting paid by television channels.

Glasgow-based Boyd Digital also confirmed its support of the competition this week. Boyd Digital is a specialist market-leading digital marketing firm in Scotland. Grant Ruxton, lifelong football supporter and managing director, said:

“We are delighted to offer our sponsorship to the Cup. It is brilliant to see more teams than ever joining in.

“It’s already proving an exciting year for the Cup and all the teams involved. As much as I am a football fan, I think there’s a wider point about sponsorship that’s worth expressing. Many local teams form a very important and integral part of the community. Dispersed populations in rural areas will often assemble for the games, and the teams can be frequently involved in charity work.

I don’t believe that my responsibility as a businessman stops at my office door. As companies, we must help communities and good causes.”

Another exciting backer for Scottish football arrived in the shape of Club Snoods. Club Snoods is a well-loved retailer of trendy and customised snoods, including football-themed snoods. They have built up a huge client base through their unique styles and capacity to supply snoods in the middle of a challenging pandemic for the Scottish football league system.

Now in its 15th campaign, the South Challenge Cup is enthralling Scotland with tense games showcasing some of the top players in junior football. The 2021/22 season will see 20 additional squads join the ranks, increasing the number of sides to 162.

This recent growth could explain why fresh sponsors have begun to embrace football in the lower leagues. A renowned digital marketing agency is also coming aboard to boost the growth of junior regional and junior leagues.

And in the 2018/19 season, East Kilbride beat Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 2-1, a victory that came after the reigning champions, Civil Service Strollers, were knocked out at the last minute by BSC Glasgow.

Indeed, Bonnyrigg Rose just obliterated Cumbernauld Colts an incredible five goals to nil at New Dundas Park. The game began pretty even-handed, with both teams playing an interesting team. But it soon became clear that Bonnyrigg were intent on storming home. The crowd went wild after the fourth goal, but no one expected the fifth, which came out of nowhere, sending the home fans utterly ecstatic.

Fans after the game were pleased that new sponsorship was coming into the league.

Bonnyrigg fan, David Stewart, said: “This was fantastic football in action. I was absolutely thrilled. People don’t realise what they’re missing if they don’t come and see their local team play.

“The Cumbernauld Colts’ defence was nowhere to be seen, and I’m not sure they even arrived for the game.

“The lower leagues allow us to enjoy fantastic football up close. Without sponsorship, we’d not be able to do as much of the activities we want to do.”

With several clubs already causing a sensation in the fourth round of the 2021/22 campaign, it’s already an exciting tournament, particularly since defending champions Dunipace were eliminated in the second stage by Sauchie Juniors in October.