The local soccer team in Farnham, England is putting an unusual sponsor on the front of its shirts. Semi-professional club Farnham Town F.C. has inked a deal with Sides, the dining concept created by the Sidemen.
Farnham Town hovers between the ninth and tenth rungs of the English league football system. The club has an idyllic home ground and a 100-year history, but these days, it’s best known for its management structure. Its Director is Harry Hugo, an entrepreneur who has started vlogging about Farnham Town on YouTube.
As Sidemen manager Jordan Schwarzenberger shared on LinkedIn, Hugo was instrumental in bringing the sponsorship deal together. Now, when Farnham Town takes the pitch, its fans will be reminded of the fried chicken business the Sidemen inaugurated a year ago.
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Introducing The Town’s away kit for 2022/23.
Welcome to our new club sponsor, @eatsides!
Now available to buy https://t.co/LDumv7bg60 pic.twitter.com/AYWQ4oELRy
— Farnham Town FC (@FarnhamTownFC) September 30, 2022
This is not the first time a YouTube-based outfit has purchased real estate on a soccer jersey (or “football kit,” as they call it where the Sidemen come from). Vlogbrother and author John Green is famous for playing as A.F.C. Wimbledon in the FIFA video game series, and he showed love for the London club by representing his Nerdfighteria fan community on the Dons’ shirts.
Look at that DFTBA badge on the new AFC Wimbledon kits! Beautiful! Our ninth year sponsoring this extraordinary football club.
(That’s right, KSI didn’t invent YouTubers sponsoring football teams). https://t.co/ZPvnWX1wys
— John Green (@johngreen) July 28, 2022
Green’s mention of KSI is a reference to a July 2022 deal that made Prime Hydration a sponsor of Premier League club Arsenal F.C. Prime is founded by KSI — who is also a member of the Sidemen — and his rival-turned-business-partner Logan Paul. American creators like Paul have inspired the Sidemen to turn their channel into a full-fledged business.
It’s nice to see so many creators landing prominent soccer partnerships, but that trend doesn’t necessarily help the teams themselves. Farnham Town looked great when they wore their Sides kit for the first time, but they still lost 3-1.
Perhaps Farnham Town should draft some talent from the supergroup that sponsored them. The Sidemen showed off their soccer skills at their most recent charity match, which raised over £1 million. KSI and co. might not be good enough for the Prem, but they could make an impact both on and off the pitch in the Combined Counties League.
