Sport

Supported by the community

Andrew Warshaw on why local sponsorships are so important for Enfield Town FC

Advertising hoardings at the QE2 Stadium
Advertising hoardings at the QE2 Stadium

Sponsoring a local football club may not immediately spring to mind as a priority for businesses, with so many other pressing financial considerations. But Enfield Town are not just any football club.

From estate agents to pubs, garden centres to golf clubs, more and more local companies are partnering with the borough’s top non-league club, promoting their brands while taking advantage of Enfield Town’s unique fan-owned ethos.

No club can survive without strong community support and by offering a range of different packages, Enfield Town are always on the lookout for the right commercial partner.

Waste management company Powerday, which has a thriving branch in Enfield, first became an ETFC sponsor in season 2017/18 and have enjoyed a fruitful association ever since. This season the company are supporting not only the first team but also the club’s soccer school, walking football and disability sections.

“We always try to work with organisations who have the local community in their best interests and Enfield Town certainly do that,” said Tara Crossan, head of marketing and communications at Powerday. “What the club are doing aligns very much with our own ethos.

“It’s not about a return on our investment financially. That’s not the main reason for doing it. It’s about doing the right thing. My message to anyone interested in sponsoring the club is that it’s really important for private companies to support local community projects. We all know public funding is limited.”

One of the more recent sponsors of the club is the Hop Poles in Baker Street, which sports the Enfield Town logo inside and enjoys a full-page advert in every match programme. John O’Dell, son of the pub’s manager, says the partnership is invaluable in terms of enhancing the pub’s image.

“It’s money well spent because the pub sticks in people’s minds when they see our name in the programme,” said John. “We appreciate everyone around this area and we want to give something back. We are now close to a lot of Enfield fans, many of whom use the pub before games.”

On the field, at time of going to press in late November, the Towners have enjoyed a decent run of form over the past month – winning four out of six games and scoring 20 goals in the process. This has somewhat eased the pain of exiting three cup competitions and kept the club near the top of the table.

Although it was a setback to concede two late goals in a 4-4 home draw with Whitehawk, the game was another example of the great entertainment on offer this season at QE2 Stadium. There are few better places to watch football in the borough, and the progress the new management team have made in such a short space of time is little short of remarkable.

When the new staff arrived in the summer, ‘reset’ was very much the byword. That usually takes time, but it’s been hugely satisfying to see the team battle it out with some of the division’s bigger budgets and squad sizes, much of it down to a strong sense of togetherness

“My staff are worth their weight in gold,” says manager Gavin Macpherson. “The games keep coming thick and fast and it’s so important for the players to remain grounded. To really achieve something, you have to constantly refocus.”

To find out more about the various sponsorship packages provided by Enfield Town FC, email Graham Dodd:
Email [email protected]


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