Budweiser rewards dedication of semi-professional Sholing F.C. with life-changing £100,000 Club Futures grant
Budweiser has rewarded the unwavering dedication of Sholing F.C., who previously failed to reach promotion due to the condition of the club’s facilities, with an incredible £100,000 grant.
As part of the Budweiser Club Futures programme in partnership with the FA, and the brand’s long-standing support of grassroots football, the grant will go towards re-pitching the team’s ground, building a new clubhouse – and ultimately enabling them to reach their true potential.
Dave Diaper, Sholing F.C.’s manager and one of the longest-serving managers in non-league football, and his team earned promotion in 2014 yet due to the ground’s conditions took voluntary relegation – stopping them from progressing further up the league.
Over the years, the club – known as “The Boatmen” – have seen financial backing for fixing up their Universal Stadium home ground fall through and as a result, their club’s facilities have been unable to meet the more senior league’s requirements. With the help of Budweiser’s £100,000 grant, Sholing F.C. plan to start improvements to their clubhouse, changing rooms and general infrastructure.
Sholing F.C. members and passionate supporters gathered at the club’s local pub as Captain Byron Mason disclosed the six-figure grant. Byron has a close relationship with the club and manager Dave, who took him under his wing as a youngster, offering to train him up as an electrician, as well as award him a place on the team.
As Official Beer of The Emirates FA Cup, Budweiser set up the Club Futures programme in 2011. To date, the programme, supported by the FA, has invested over £1 million into non-league football.
Rowan Chidgey, Marketing Manager, Budweiser UK, says “Our Budweiser Club Futures programme is all about grassroots football, and giving teams an opportunity to improve and succeed after their hard work and dedication at the coal-face of the game. Sholing F.C.’s story is an incredible one, and we couldn’t think of worthier recipients than Dave, Bryon and the club’s supporters. We hope that with the £100,000 grant we’ll see them make promotion next year and realise their footballing ambitions – Sholing F.C., this Bud’s for you!”
Dan Kiddle, Head of Partnerships, The FA, says “The Budweiser Club Futures Grant is a fantastic part of our on-going partnership with Budweiser and is another example of how the backing from our Partners is helping support the game at all levels. Sholing F.C. are the latest in a long list of non-league Clubs to have benefitted from Budweiser’s generosity and we hope that the grant will bring The Boatmen continued success on and off the field. The FA would like to thank Budweiser for their continued commitment towards this wonderful initiative.”
Dave Diaper, Sholing F.C. Manager, says “This is beyond our wildest dreams! During my 18 years as manager I’ve always fought for club funding so the boys can get the promotion they deserve, and not be held back by our poor facilities. We didn’t expect such a huge donation, and will be forever grateful to Budweiser and the FA for helping make ours – and the community’s – footballing dreams come true.”
To celebrate the donation Budweiser has created an advert which showcases the Sholing F.C. story, premiering on Sky Sports on 21st May at 15.30. The campaign will also be supported across digital, social and TV with amplification through BT Sport, SPORTbible, Ball Street and Grass Root Goals.
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For more information contact Shauna or Ian at 3 Monkeys Zeno at Budweiser@3monkeyszeno.com or 020 7009 3100
About Budweiser
The “King of Beers”, Budweiser, was introduced by Adolphus Busch in 1876 and is still brewed with the same care and high‑quality, exacting standards. What began as an American original 139 years ago is a global brand today, enjoyed by consumers in 85 countries. In accordance with its original recipe, this great American lager is aged over Beachwood chips for 21 days which results in a perfectly balanced flavor and a crisp, clean refreshing taste. Budweiser is considered the world’s most valuable beer brand*.
*SOURCE: 2015 BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands
About AB InBev UK & Ireland
AB InBev UK Ltd is the UK trading subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). In the UK, AB InBev employs approximately 1,000 people in our two breweries and local headquarters. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer and cider brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bass® and Boddingtons®. We are a founding member of the Portman Group, member of the British Beer and Pub Association, supporter of the Drinkaware Trust, have partnered with the Alcohol Education Trust and are a signatory to a number of pledges as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal. Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Learn more at www.ab-inbev.co.uk or on Twitter through @ABInBevUKI_News.
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