With Staff & Player Sponsors spending time with the squad at the team photoshoot this week, we caught up with two well-known members of the Yellow Army to discover more about the special bond they have with their chosen players.
Chris Gadd has been an ardent Gulls fan for many years, and with his wife Ella, has sponsored United skipper Asa Hall ever since he arrived at Plainmoor in the summer of 2018. Having attended the event on Monday, Chris told us how much enjoyed catching up with the Torquay captain ahead of the 2023/24 campaign kicking off on Saturday.
“Asa is a nice man, and we spent quite a lot of time together on Monday.
“It was very well-organised. All the sponsors met up in the Gulls Nest, with the whole team sat in photograph formation, before all the sponsors sat alongside and behind them all, and had group photos taken. We then went back upstairs before having the individual ones taken. It all went very smoothly.
“Last season, Asa scored the winner in one game, and he was Man of the Match. After the game, he came over to the fans in the Family Stand to do some autographs, and as he was heading towards the tunnel, he said ‘wait a minute’, came and shook hands with me and we gave each other a big hug for him scoring the winner. He’s an ideal bloke to have as skipper.
Chris also revealed that there is extra cause to celebrate every time Asa hits the net, thanks to a personal agreement between them.
“The first year I sponsored him, he appeared to be quite an easy-going bloke to get along with. I approached him and asked if he scored many goals, and he said that he put in a few now and again!
“I asked if he’d mind if I sponsored him £10 per goal, as I’d like to put it to Rowcroft Hospice. He said that he wouldn’t mind at all – and would match what I put in! That shows what a decent sort of bloke he is. He’s always very pleasant, to my wife as well, and I’ve only got positive things to say about him.”
Roger Lester is another familiar face amongst United’s supporters – home and away – and having built up genuine friendships with a number of different players over the past few years, Roger explained why he selected striker Brad Ash to be his sponsored player for the new season.
“I read about him coming in, and I thought ‘I need a forward!’, said Roger.
“He sounded good for the division, he’s played there and knows what he’s doing, so I phoned Sharon up and said ‘I’ll have Brad Ash!’
“I had a very long, good talk with him yesterday, and the good thing about it is that he told me an interesting fact – the last league goal he scored was against Dover, when he played for Weymouth to keep them up, and his first game for Torquay will be against Dover, so it could be an omen! That will make a good quiz question in future years.
“Speaking with Brad – he’s so down-to-earth – he was born just down the road in Maidenhead, and I found out all about his family, we talked about football, and about how him and Aaron Jarvis will be playing together. It was a really good day talking to them all, and we had a good laugh. I told Aaron and Brad that I expect a good 40-50 goals between them. I really got to know him, and I believe in him.
“I do enjoy when they are scoring goals, like one of my previous players, Jamie Reid was, you hear your name read out over the tannoy. Sponsoring a player gets you involved with the club, and the players react to you, and you feel like you’re one of them, and it makes you feel part of the team.”
Roger finished by expressing how much he enjoyed the occasion at Plainmoor yesterday.
“That day was one of the best days ever to come to the Club. We all sat down and had a team photo, and then you had time to talk with your player until you had tour picture taken, for a good hour and a half. It was brilliant.”
Torquay United AFC would like to place on record its thanks to all current Player and Staff Sponsors for their continued support – here’s to a successful 2023/24!
Join The Player / Staff Sponsors For 2023/24!
Player / Staff Sponsorship packages provide a unique, cost-effective way for supporters to show their support for the Club. Whether you’re looking to advertise, give a special gift to someone, or you’re a group of supporters wishing to show your support for your favourite member of the squad, sponsoring a player is the perfect choice.
Sponsoring a player or staff member is a great way for the Yellow Army to show their support for the club, with each player’s sponsor receiving their relevant match-worn shirt at the end of the season. Player Sponsors also have their names or logo on the player’s profile on the official club website, as well as in every edition of our matchday programme, with sponsors also given the opportunity to have their photo taken with their sponsored player.
Packages include:
- Company logo, personal name or group name in each edition of United’s matchday programme
- Company logo, personal name or group name on your chosen player/staff’s profile on the official club website
- Photo opportunity with your sponsored player/staff member
- You will also be presented with the relevant shirt by your chosen player/staff member at the end of the season
To view the list of players & staff available for sponsorship, CLICK HERE
If you would like to join us and a player for the 2023/24 campaign, or for further information, please contact Commercial Manager Sharon Musker via 07949 005832, or email [email protected].
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