I’m not ashamed to admit that when it comes to football: I’m a bit of a girl. I don’t fully understand the off-side rule (although of course I pretend I do), I can’t reel off last weekend’s results and I spend most of my spectating hoping that the ball isn’t going to fly at great speed towards my unsuspecting face. What I do understand about football, however, is the unmistakable grip it has on the entire world.
The sheer volume of people tuning in or turning up to footie matches has for years brought successful advertising campaigns to football clubs; with digital perimeter screens selling products from alcoholic drinks right through to credit cards. After the building success of solar energy in this country, it was really only a matter of time before one of the world’s top ten solar module manufacturers signed a sponsorship deal with one the UK’s top ten football teams.
Canadian Solar signed its two-year deal with Fulham Football Club in August this year, continuing the module manufacturer’s support of sports teams globally, including top German football teams Hannover 96 and 1. FC Nuremberg. As part of the Fulham deal Canadian Solar’s logo will be featured at all home games on the digital perimeter advertising system and in other prominent, high visibility areas of the stadium. Canadian Solar will also receive dedicated marketing and hospitality privileges in order to forge a strong bond with its clients, and to get to know Fulham on a more personal level.
Just a few weeks into this new relationship, Canadian Solar was well and truly inaugurated as part of the Fulham FC family having been invited to play in the club’s annual Sponsors’ Day Cup, held on Friday September 9th.
In total 10 five-a-side teams from Laser, Molson Coors, Seatwave, Repucom, Coca Cola, Canadian Solar (and its UK distributor Solar Cube), Kappa, Seat, Stanley Tools and Fulham Commercial Team made their way to the Astroturf pitches at Fulham’s training ground to battle it out for the all-important Sponsors’ trophy.
I was met by the Canadian Solar/Solar Cube team as they ran red-faced off the pitch, aglow with pride after thrashing the Fulham Commercial Team in their second five-a-side win of the day. Spurred on by the experienced eye of Fulham’s Manager Martin Jol (and possibly the fact that it was still early on in the day) the team played its first two games fearlessly, professionally and with an eagerness to win.
The team fight for a win against SEAT.
After watching a few games, I was suitably impressed by the Canadian Solar/Solar Cube team’s football-playing ability, and while I was still ducking discreetly and squeaking inaudibly when the ball came anywhere near me, I actually enjoyed watching the lads fight for victory. It seemed that while my passion for football was not as strong as many others around the world, my intense love affair with solar energy propelled me to cheer the team on, celebrating every goal that was scored and booing every referee decision against them.
By the third game, tiredness seemed to be setting in – and the draw that ensued was testament to this. Despite this, the Canadian Solar/Solar Cube team kept their spirits up and battled on through the fourth and sadly final game of the day, placing them third overall.
Mike Bell, Account Manager at Solar Cube and the team’s Manager for the day said, “The Canadian Solar and Solar Cube team performed extremely well, given that this was our first time playing in the tournament. I was very proud of our team’s performance, especially Adam Clark who scored four goals. Adam works in Solar Cube’s technical office, and this was reflected on the football pitch with his technical ability with the ball.
Solar Cube has been invited back again next year, an invitation which we have obviously accepted and are already looking forward to.”
Fulham Football Club CEO, Alistair Mackintosh said, “Fulham is delighted to partner with Canadian Solar for the forthcoming seasons. They are a leading brand in the solar industry that complements and embodies the core values and principles of Fulham. The partnership will, I am sure, be mutually beneficial and we look forward to successful seasons working together.”
Solar Cube/Canadian Solar's keeper saves another goal.
While the Canadian Solar/Solar Cube team were noticeably devastated by their loss (I didn’t envy the journey home with the Manager) I felt they really had a lot to be proud of. Just a year ago I would be hard-pushed to believe the day would come when a solar company as successful as Canadian Solar would sponsor a football team in the UK.
While this country’s solar industry got off to a bit of a wobbly start, with Government sticking its boot in at every opportunity, somehow more than 200MW of solar capacity was installed in just 18 months. Industry players have battled past policy pitfalls and created something that is no longer considered niche, or unsuitable, but realistic and part of our future energy mix.
And through its sponsorship of the Craven Cottage team, Canadian Solar has pulled solar energy out of the cottage industry it once so comfortably inhabited, and into the mainstream.
The Solar Cube/Canadian Solar team with Manager Mike Bell and Emma Hughes.
All photos by Emma Hughes.
