The Gauntlet is Down

Sponsorship has been difficult to come by in recent times even for professional sides with recent examples of West Ham and Hamilton being devoid of shirt sponsors.

So when a football academy comes chapping your door asking for money, most people will ask what's in it for them.

The simple answer would be an investment in the future. The future development of a young football players career to be more precise and what could be more important than trying to help these youngsters progress in their specialist field of expertise?

Ayr United Football Academy are a charitable organisation with over 80 volunteers helping over 200 players on a daily basis with all money funded to the Academy, going towards coaching and development of these players in the hope of helping them reach their ambition of playing professional football.

Player sponsorship is only £75, with the 16's and 17's having a full complement of sponsors, so kudos to the players, coaches and parents in finding companies willing to part with their hard earned cash to help further the careers of these young players.

In the instance of the 16's, it has taken the combined power of the parents in order to sponsor every one of their sons. It may surprise some of you that we celebrate the fact that parents sponsor their sons, after all that's what parents are for isn't it? Well no it isn't.

The parents involved, like most parents, invest almost all their time, effort and a great deal of money on trying to help their kids reach their ambitions with the help of the Football Academy, to ask them all for even more money is unfortunate but the 16's parents felt it a necessary evil to help their sons.

The 17's player all have individual sponsors all gained from all walks of life. Restaurants, flooring shops, construction, solicitors, sports shops, garages, security, commercial sales, aerospace, coachworks, joiners and even public bars have all sponsored these players for this season, all doing their bit to help in the development of the stars of the future.

However we have three other pro youth teams that so far only have two players sponsored and also three girls sides that need individual player sponsorship as well. So here it is, the gauntlet has been thrown down by the 16's and 17's to the other age groups, get yourselves some sponsors.

Ask your friends, your family, shop owners, business people, teachers, even the ice cream van owner. Get yourself sponsored, get your kids sponsored. Ask the local barber, the local corner shop owner, your manager at work, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, just get them sponsored.

The repercussions of a funding shortfall could inadvertently affect future trips to tournaments, curb the purchase of equipment, even stop future transportation to matches, so every sponsor gained helps to keep every single piece of  equipment and every facility at the players disposal. This all ultimately benefits the players and that's why we all do what we do, for the players!