North East pubs raise a glass to Sunderland 2018 bid
More than 200 pubs and bars from across the North East are gearing up to help their regulars get behind Sunderland’s bid to bring World Cup football to the region in 2018.
Scottish & Newcastle, the UK’s leading beer and cider business and the name behind drinks such as Heineken, Newcastle Brown Ale, Foster’s and Strongbow- is delivering new ‘Let’s welcome the world, Sunderland 2018 Host City Bid’ beer mats to its pub and bar customers in Tyne and Wear and County Durham. The mats allow drinkers to register their support via a text messaging service listed on the back.
The FA has stated that levels of public support for individual host city bids will be an important factor when it makes decisions about which venues to include in its proposal to FIFA. The new beer mats are the latest initiative by the Sunderland 2018 bid team to generate support for a campaign that has already proved immensely popular. To date tens of thousands of people have sent their vote to the FA, backing Sunderland’s campaign.
Ian Norman, Trading Director for S&N’s North Region said:
Pubs, bars and clubs have always been focal points for football fans to meet up and enjoy the beautiful game. At Scottish & Newcastle, we are delighted to be giving our support to Sunderland’s 2018 Host City bid. It would be absolutely tremendous for the North East to host World Cup matches; and the pubs in the region would play a crucial role in welcoming and accommodating visiting fans.
To host such a major event would also be a significant boost for the North East licensing trade. If a fan can’t get a ticket to a match, watching games in the comfort of a pub or bar is the next best thing, and there is nothing like a World Cup for bringing nations and communities together.
I hope drinkers across the North East will spot the new ‘Let’s welcome the world, Sunderland 2018 Host City Bid’ beer mats, and will register their support while enjoying a beer or cider from our wide range of brands.
To back the bid by SMS message, supporters should text “Sunderland2018″ followed by their name, house number and postcode, all to 62299. Texts are charged at the standard network rate and the service is now live. People can also still register their support with the FA here.