Totally Wicked Blackburn Sponsorship Ends
Vape company Totally Wicked has ended its shirt sponsorship with local football team Blackburn Rovers but vows to continue supporting the club
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by Dave Cross
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Vape company Totally Wicked has ended its shirt sponsorship with local football team Blackburn Rovers. Both the club and the successful ecig company say the move comes following the “conclusion of the current agreement”, but observers note that both the Blackburn and Totally Wicked have been attacked in parliament by zealots trying to ban vape advertising on the front of football shirts. Totally Wicked is expected to continue its support of the club’s Trust programme.
In a statement, Blackburn Rovers FC said: “Rovers’ long-term partnership with principal sponsor Totally Wicked will end at the conclusion of the current agreement, however the local business will continue to be staunch supporters of the club going forward.
“The 2023-24 campaign was the sixth season of the proud and productive partnership, which started in September 2018 when Totally Wicked came on board as Rovers’ official training kit sponsor.
“The thriving Blackburn business, whose headquarters are based just a stone’s throw from Ewood Park, enhanced their relationship with the club in January 2022 by also becoming front of shirt sponsor.”
The club stated that the parting of ways is a mutual agreement but that Totally Wicked “will remain a valued part of the Rovers family’. It is believed that the vape company will continue to support the club through the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust charity.
Blackburn Rovers continued: “The organisation have also purchased Season Tickets and subsidised the cost of merchandise for their staff for the 2024-25 season, which has been something they have committed to over a number of years.”
Marcus Saxton, CEO of Totally Wicked, said: “We have been a proud principal sponsor of Blackburn Rovers for six seasons, with the club and our business sharing a rich history rooted in Blackburn.
“Totally Wicked and Blackburn Rovers both invest in a local community that we have in common and together we have shown how a successful local partnership can flourish over time, particularly when both parties share similar values.
“Many alcohol and gambling brands continue in similar partnerships with sporting teams, although it would be difficult to identify any benefits beyond those that are purely commercial. Vaping has played an extremely positive and ground-breaking role in supporting adult smokers’ transition to a safer way of taking nicotine, and for many, to stop smoking completely.
“Our partnership with Blackburn Rovers comes to an end with heavy hearts and many positive memories, and we wish the club all the best success for the future.”
The football club’s CEO, Steve Waggott, added: “Everyone at the club would like to thank Totally Wicked for all their support over the last few years. To work closely alongside a local business owned by a huge Rovers fan has produced a much-valued and powerful partnership.
“We are delighted that they will continue to work alongside the club by supporting the fantastic work of our Community Trust, demonstrating the alignment of their social values with ours.”
On its website, Totally Wicked has released an article titled Celebrating Six Seasons of Partnership: Totally Wicked and Blackburn Rovers. There, it addresses the unjustified parliamentary criticism it has come in for: “Despite the clear benefits of our products and the ethical stance of our business, our association with Blackburn Rovers has not been without controversy. In recent years, some critics have unfairly accused us of using the sponsorship to appeal to young people. We want to set the record straight: this has never been our intention nor is there any evidence to suggest it has been a consequence of our sponsorship. Our focus has always been on supporting adult smokers in their journey to a healthier lifestyle.
“The criticism directed at our partnership, despite the positive societal gains, is both tiresome and unjustified. It saddens us that after 16 years of dedicated work in harm reduction and raising awareness about the benefits of vaping, there is still significant misunderstanding and misplaced criticism surrounding vaping.
“We remain steadfast in our mission and will continue to advocate for the benefits of vaping for adult smokers.”
Photo Credit:
Images from Blackburn Rovers FC and Totally Wicked
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
