Football is a huge deal for anyone that follows a team. Sometimes this comes at not only a large expense, but a large amount of time travelling to games around the UK.
Plymouth Argyle fans are to make the longest trip in English football on Saturday visiting Hartlepool United – a near 800 mile return journey – to cheer their team on.
UK network Three have teamed up with the League 2 side to offer fans benefits for their long journey. The first being able to tweet the team on the trip, so anyone who thinks they are a tactical genius can pass their wisdom on. All that information will then be gathered together and passed to the players and manager before the match.
Three and Plymouth Argyle also state they are looking at other ways to use this partnership. They hope to bring both club and loyal fans together using a strong network built for the internet.
The director of brand communications for Three tells us..
Below is the full press release with more information.
AWAY THE LADS
League 2 side Plymouth Argyle signs sponsorship deal with Three for their away fans
· Mobile network Three announces it has become the official Away Fans Sponsor of Plymouth Argyle for the game against Hartlepool, the longest away trip in English football
· The near 800 mile round trip for the match against Hartlepool United takes place at 3pm on Saturday, January 31st
· As part of this, Three are producing the first crowd sourced football team talk compiled entirely from Plymouth Argyle fans
· Sponsorship arranged by Three to allow fans to stay connected to the club throughout their journey to Hartlepool
Away days. As far as English footballing traditions go it’s one of the most unifying occasions for loyal fans around the country, each who travel miles to watch their beloved team.
However, some away days take slightly more commitment than others. None more so than a League 2 fixture this Saturday, which will see Plymouth Argyle fans make a near 800 mile round trip for the game against Hartlepool United for the longest journey in English football. Now, that loyal support is set to be recognised like never before.
Today, mobile network Three has announced it has become the Official Away Fans sponsor of Plymouth Argyle for the match against Hartlepool. The unique footballing deal is aimed at rewarding their loyal support and helping Argyle fans stay connected to the club throughout their journey.
As part of the sponsorship, Plymouth Argyle will be become the first football team to crowd source its pre-match team talk. In a chance to offer their very own tactical master plan, budding Jose Mourinhos and Louis Van Gaals will be able to contribute their words of dressing room inspiration on Twitter, which will be complied and delivered to the team before the Hartlepool match. Anyone wishing to submit to the team talk can do so through @Only1Argyle and using the hashtag #ThreeTalk.
Lianne Norry, director of brand and communications for Three commented: “No matter which team you support, the one thing all football fans have in common is their love for their club. That’s why we’re delighted to sponsor PAFC’s away game so we can connect the club with its fans and keep them close together even though they are traveling 774 miles for this game. We’ve got a great network across the country and I’m excited to see how players and fans alike use it to their advantage.”
John Sheridan, manager of Plymouth Argyle FC said: “We’re pleased to welcome Three as our official Away Fans sponsor for the game this weekend. We’re incredibly lucky to have such loyal supporters at the club, who travel up and down the country each week to cheer us on, so it’s great to see them recognised like this. There is no denying it’s a long trip to Hartlepool but hopefully with Three’s network we’ll keep connected to the fans better than ever.”
The sponsorship is also going to allow fans to get a greater insight into player’s preparation ahead of the game. By using Three’s network, which was recently named the most reliable in the country1, players and team staff will be able to document every step of the 387-mile one-way journey to Hartlepool for the League 2 game.
Three will be working closely with Plymouth Argyle to offer further benefits to the away fans travelling to Hartlepool during the build up to the game, with more announcements coming via @Only1Argyle during the week.
