MARS and The FA ANNOUNCE 5-YEAR Sponsorship with the England Team

07 October 2009 

6th October 2009 (London): MARS and The Football Association today announced a new five year partnership that initially sees the MARS brand become an Official Supplier to England until July 2010 when they will become a Supporter of the England team. MARS will also help drive a new element of The FA’s Get into Football campaign, focusing on recruiting lapsed male footballers over the age of 18 as well as retaining current teams.

The long-term relationship will see MARS working closely with The FA on a number of initiatives including:

• Developing a bespoke Get into Football programme, targeting adults to play the game
• Official Supplier/Supporter of the England team (until 2014)

Sir Trevor Brooking, Director of Football Development at The FA, commented on the announcement: “These are exciting times for the England team and to have MARS, an iconic brand that’s loved by football fans, on board as a sponsor is a positive thing. We are looking forward to a successful long term partnership.”

Fiona Dawson, Managing Director of MARS Chocolate UK, added: “This is the biggest announcement the MARS brand has ever made in the UK. We’re huge football fans ourselves so we can’t wait to get behind the England team in South Africa next year and beyond. But this is not just about the England team - MARS is committed to encouraging our consumers to lead a healthy, active lifestyle and we have a terrific opportunity to do this through The FA’s Get into Football campaign.”

A significant part of the relationship over the next five years will involve MARS focusing its efforts on The Football Association’s Get into Football campaign, to encourage new and lapsed players to get into the beautiful game. There has been a decline in men’s 11-a-side football participation in recent years - over the past two seasons alone 1,200 teams have dropped out of leagues – and MARS’ focus will be supporting The FA to recruit and retain players over 18, where the drop out rate is growing. The FA with MARS is developing a more flexible approach to playing organised football and therefore tackling possible barriers to entry for players. MARS will be involved in the development and implementation of this major FA initiative.

Sir Trevor Brooking, commenting on MARS’ involvement with the Get into Football campaign, said: “MARS’ long term partnership with The Football Association will help us combat the drop in adult men playing 11-a-side football. With MARS, we will be developing a programme specifically targeting players that ‘fall out’ of the game after the age of 18 – a real concern, not just for The Football Association, but for the country as a whole. Football is our national game and it is, in all its forms, a great way to help people lead an active, balanced and healthy life. We have a target of getting 32,000 registered men’s 11-a-side teams by 2012 whilst also increasing the number of women’s teams from 1,200 to 1,437 within the same timeframe, and MARS’ support will help us. MARS has a heritage in football and, in recent years, has undertaken successful campaigns encouraging sports participation, so we see this as a great fit for The FA."

Fiona Dawson adds: “Football is a fun sport that can be enjoyed by anyone with a ball and a bit of space – we want to encourage people to get out there, get playing and enjoy themselves.”

As Official Supplier / Supporter to the England team MARS will be developing initiatives that will help England fans get closer to the team and feel part of the set up as they prepare for the World Cup and beyond. The iconic Three Lions Crest will also be featuring on new MARS packaging.

John Barnes, ex-England legend and ambassador for the MARS brand, comments: “This is an exciting time for the England team and its fans. I was lucky enough to be part of the England team and the positive impact of the fans support cannot be underestimated. With MARS we’re going to help fans feel closer to the team and help their support energise the team too.”

As part of the partnership, MARS will plan to become Official Confectionery Supplier for Wembley Stadium from August 2010 until July 2014.