newgroundrodney wrote:I'm firmly of the opinion that people make their own choices, and should be allowed to. Our entire League is sponsored by gambling. Many football shirts have been sponsored by alcohol, loan companies, air lines, double glazing, banks, all of whom have or are dodgy in their dealings to a greater or lesser extent.
I'm not sure shirt advertising even WORKS as a sales medium anyway. I have never bought a single product just because one of my teams were sponsored by it, or that I had been aware of the brand because of it.
I drink Guinness because I like it, not because it's plastered across what is widely recognised to be QPR's fans' favourite retro kit. For the same reason, I never opened an account with Royal Panda, or flew with Air Asia. Equally I never opened an account with 32 Red, or obtained a job through Acorn. I did buy Mr.Tom bars though if I couldn't find any freebies at the match.
The idea that someone will become an alcoholic because County have 'Tiny Rebel' on their shirt is fanciful. You'd need to ask an alcoholic to essentially retrace their lives, and identify specifically WHICH drink was the one that put them over the edge, why they drank it, what influenced it........... I wonder how many would say: "Because my local 4th Div football team had their logo on their shirt"...... not many I suspect.
Addiction usually comes with other problems first. Some people are simply known to have an "addictive nature", not knowing when enough is enough. That's not the fault of the advertisers, when as I say, I don't actually think shirt advertising works.
Hi Gary,
I have no doubt you are right when you say some people have addictive personalities. I am sure that you are right about you are not influenced by the adverts on the shirts.
But I smoked as a young man. I started as a child and I was undoubtedly influenced by adverts that made smoking look cool. The sports car, the airline captains insignia, the long legged blonde, and the open packet of Rothmans.
I was lucky, I gave up smoking 32 years ago. Others of my vintage died horrible deaths from lung cancer. As for drink I've defended drink drivers. I have also seen the police photographs of how a young woman who has been splattered all over the road by a drunk driver looks. Mutilated body of a young woman that is.
I don't think we should advertise the products which do this.