According to Rule 10 of the original Rules of Football “Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed, and no player shall use his hands to hold or push his adversary.”
The Texaco brand, Official Motor Fuel Partner of the npower Championship, today launched Teach Your Kids Proper Footy – a campaign to bring back the values and sportsmanship to the once noble game of football.
Launched by Fast Track and VCCP at the Freemasons Arms, London – where 147 years ago today, the first official football rules were written down - on October 26th 1863. The ‘Teach Your Kids Proper Footy’ campaign aims to get young fans to support their local npower Championship club and there are several good reasons for that. A recent survey commissioned by the Texaco brand on the npower Championship indicated there are on average 2.69 goals per game this season (second only to the Bundesliga), less bookings than European leagues at 2.88 per game and an average top price ticket of just £23. All of which means that the npower Championship is not only exciting to watch but is played in the true spirit of the game and great value for money.
Football has evolved over the years and while the essentials are still the same, there are certain less attractive elements that have crept in to the game. Nobody likes the diving, feigning injury, tantrums or professional fouls, and we feel coloured football boots and glamorous modelling shoots are also a step too far. We love football and want to promote proper footy and all that’s great about the beautiful game.
Matt Le Tissier, one of the true proponents of the game and the Texaco brand’s Proper Footy ambassador said, “We want to get back to basics. The game has changed a lot but at its heart it’s still the same. We need to reaffirm the key values and to teach the next generation about the spirit of the game and how it should be played. There is also a lot of money and glamour in the game these days. With that comes some amazing talent, but also a lot of bad habits. We think football boots should be black not gold. We think professional footballers should do their job on the field not the catwalk and we think proper players chase the ball not fame - that’s what properfooty.com is all about.”
Matt Le Tissier added, “What I would like to see is young fans experiencing the joy of seeing their local team win. In certain towns around the county the club is the heartbeat of the town. It was like that when I was at Southampton - when we won the whole area was buzzing all weekend, when we lost you really noticed it. When you travel to parts of Britain now, you hardly see kids wearing shirts from their local clubs and I think that is a shame. I really enjoy lower league football and think it’s important for kids to know what it means to be a Proper Footy fan.”
Stuart McBride brand specialist at Chevron Ltd, owner of the Texaco brand, added:
“It’s now our third year of partnering the npower Championship. It’s something we’re particularly proud of and whenever we speak to fans it’s clear that there’s something about the league which is special. We believe it’s Footy played as it should be. Players are players and fans are all about the game. We believe football fans have become slightly disillusioned with the game in recent months and will enjoy getting behind our campaign. It’s a bit of fun that hopefully will strike a cord with fans.”
The Texaco brand is also getting behind the npower Championship clubs that still remain in the Carling Cup and play their fourth round ties this week. Swansea and Burnley, who are playing away from home against Premiership opposition, have started their seasons brightly with 29 goals in 9 wins between them and could cause an upset against Wigan and Aston Villa respectively. Wigan have only amassed 4 goals in the Premier League this season and Villa, 9 goals in seven games.
Texaco ambassador, Matt Le Tissier, urged fans to get behind their local npower Championship team this week:
“The Championship teams can cause upsets this week with Burnley, Leicester and Swansea taking on Premiership opposition. Ipswich and Leicester are both at home, so should be fancying their chances. If you live locally to these clubs but maybe support another team, why not go along and cheer on these teams? You might enjoy it and see a famous scalp as well.”
ENDS
For further information and imagery please contact:
Henry Robson at Fast Track on 07958 778 244 henry.robson@fasttrackagency.com
Notes to Editors:
Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, California. More information about Chevron is available at http://www.chevron.com.
Notes on the Opta survey:
The Opta survey took place on October 14th 2010 for more information on the Opta survey contact Henry Robson as above.
