From the FA Cup to Wembley

We are used to seeing the American brand of Budweiser beer in international contexts related to the world of sports and football.

As is known, Bud is one of the main brands of FIFA and the World Cup, which rose to prominence after the controversy regarding the sale of alcohol in the Arab country hosting the competition that Argentina just won.

But the brand owned by Belgian multinational Anheuser-Busch InBev is not new to sponsorship in the football world.

Association with English football

Budweiser has strong ties to English football and has been an official partner of The Football Association since 2012.

The agreement with the supreme organization of English football has affected many assets, from Wembley Stadium to the historic FA Cup.

In 2018, there was a long-term renewal of this cooperation, the end date of which is unknown, which made Budweiser one of the oldest partners of FIFA. Since 2012 the company has invested approx 29 million euros in English footballUnder the new deal, all AB InBev products, including Bud beer, will be sold inside Wembley Stadium when the men’s or women’s national teams play.

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Also through initiatives such as the program Budweiser Club Futures The Company supports amateur football by providing financial grants to English football teams from non-professional leagues.

With this project, Bud has achieved a poetic expansion across the English lands in one of the most popular and followed football competitions, given also the magic and history that this trophy has for fans from all over the world, not just the Anglo-Saxons.

Budweiser Club Futures

This project was born in 2012 and ran until 2017.

The brewery has invested more than 1.1 million euros in this project, allocating it to several English Premier League clubs. The winners were chosen through a vote on the Facebook page dedicated to the project.

The amounts were divided differently according to the reference season. On average Bud has delivered 8 awards since then 56 thousand euros to eight different clubs, plus one club had the opportunity to take advantage of it 113 thousand euros “Super Grant”, which is a special award.

It is also the technical sponsor of the Football Association Nike He wanted to give one of the winning clubs a match kit to wear in a non-league tournament.

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As mentioned, there are many teams that have benefited from this economic assistance, which is necessary for the amateur reality to plan or invest for the benefit of the entire reference community.

Basford United, Biedfont Sports, East Grinstead Town, Linton Granta and Wythenshaw are names that are not well known to non-English football fans but are just some of the clubs Bud has helped.

Finally, Sholing FC, which in the 2017/18 season did not qualify for promotion according to FA rules. That is why Budweiser decided at the end of the season to award the club a super grant which was fully invested in the club’s facilities.

May 27, 2017

There have been many innovative initiatives Bud has brought to the FA Cup.

Like launching an app that allowed fans to take a picture with a virtual replica of the trophy by pointing their smartphone at a Budweiser-branded ship.

Budweiser was also able to stream the FA Cup live on Facebook for the first time. In fact, the brewery broadcast the Langford-Wembley match live on their official page.

One of the clubs that gained the most visibility from partnering with the beer brand was Ho Wembley.

Partnership with Wembley F.C

In March 2012, Budweiser announced a new sponsorship agreement with Wembley F.C.

The agreement, which differs from the one signed with the federation, aimed to make the club compete in the historic Club Cup and reach the bottom of the competition by playing at Wembley. An impossible feat for an amateur club.

Obviously, the real goal is about visibility for the Bud brand.

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As written in the agreement, Bud has renovated the club’s infrastructure, including the clubhouse, purchased a minibus to use on overseas trips and has run some awareness campaigns on responsible alcohol consumption in the reference community.

In addition to the brand’s presence as the main shirt sponsor, the most important strategic initiative related to this partnership was the launch of a series produced in collaboration with ESPN and producer Evan Weinstein, also broadcast on the official YouTube channel. Budweiser UK, entitled “Dream On. Wembley Journey” And most importantly, some international soccer players participate.

Shortly after the partnership was announced, former England footballer Terry Venables was appointed sporting director. In June, prior to the debut, the club signed former international footballers Ray Parlor, Martin Keown, Graeme Le Saux, Claudio Caniggia and Brian McBride to play in the FA Cup qualifiers, in addition, David Seaman was appointed as goalkeeper coach.

Sadly the dream of entering the national stage fell through at Wembley, but Budweiser’s support enabled the club to continue in the Combined Counties Football League.

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