Gary Lineker has questioned Aston Villa’s call to have a gambling sponsor on the front of their shirt after they signed a multi-year partnership deal with, BK8.
On Friday, ahead of Aston Villa unveiling their new home kit for the 2023/24 Premier League season, they announced on their website that betting firm BK8 will be the new Principal and Front of Shirt Partner.
That resulted in former England striker and BBC presenter Lineker raising the following question on Twitter, as he seemingly disagreed with the club’s call: ‘Thought clubs were no longer going to have gambling sponsors on shirts?’
Lineker is correct to raise the question because gambling firms will be banned from being on the front of shirts after Premier League clubs came to that agreement back in April.
But that ban will only come into place from the 2026/27 Premier League season, as reported by The Guardian, so until then, clubs can do as they please and Villa have done just that to the anger of their own fans.
For a while now, fans have known this was coming and, at the time, it was highly criticised, and those same points were raised once it was confirmed, with John McGinn, who recently signed a new four-year deal, showing how the new betting firm looks on the Claret & Blue colours, as you can see below.
The quicker the ban comes along, the better…
It’s not great that Villa have decided to go down this road, but that’s the reality of football today and the multi-million deals that are just too good to turn down.
Money talks, even if fans don’t agree with such calls, as the only saving grace here is that this will be the last gambling firm Villa will have on the front of their shirt.
The quicker the ban comes along, the better it is for all, well not all, everyone except those pocketing money from it.
It will be great if Villa could go down the road of the old days and have Children’s Hospice, such as Acorns, as their shirt sponsor because it’s more meaningful to the heart rather than the bank balance.
Perhaps that will come again, not just for the Midlands side, but other Premier League clubs too in a few years time when this ban officially comes into place.
Until then, those voicing their concern will continue to do so.
