To celebrate the return of grassroots football in England, adidas will pay subs for players in two of the biggest amateur leagues in London over the next two weekends.
The relaxation of coronavirus restrictions from March 29 has enabled greater social contact outdoors and the return of formally organized outdoor sports.
Restrictions have been eased throughout the UK adidas
In total, adidas will support as many as 3,738 players from 267 teams who have not been able to play the game they love while lockdown rules have been in place in recent months. The commitment to grassroots football is part of the adidas Football Collective, which aims to strengthen football communities around the world, starting in London and expanding in the future.
This weekend, adidas is partnering with the Amateur Football Association (AFC), one of the largest leagues in Europe, with 222 adult and veteran teams for men across London.
Next weekend, adidas will also support the launch of the new Greater London Women’s Football League (GLWFL), which is currently the only affiliated women’s league in the capital but has provided women’s football for more than 20 years.
“Grassroots football is back and we’re as excited as players across the country to see the game we all love return,” said Chris Walsh, adidas’ vice president of the UK. “Our adidas Football Collective initiative is about creating positive change through football and we have a lot more to come with this because we are all looking forward to a hugely exciting summer for the sport.”
adidas support is invaluable at the grassroots level adidas
James Whitmarsh, league development chairman of the AFC, commented that the partnership is a welcome “helping hand” for players and teams.
Julie Syer, Secretary General of GLWFL, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to partner with adidas to support our league. It has been a long time for everyone without grassroots football, so we are really happy that our teams will be out on the field next weekend – and it has been made a little more exciting now that the subs are covered! ”
The Adidas Football Collective began in October 2020, when one of the first initiatives sought to provide 150,000 free kits to amateur teams across Europe, eventually delivering these bands to 10,000 men, women’s and juniors’ teams.
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