Carling, the United Kingdom's leading core lager brand, is once again championing community football by relaunching its popular grassroots initiative. This programme offers amateur teams across the nation a significant boost as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Substantial Support for Local Clubs
The brand will award twenty-five grassroots football teams with a fully personalised kit package valued at an impressive £3,000 per team. This comprehensive support includes both home and away shirts, training jackets, match and training footballs, alongside essential accessories like bibs and kit bags. The initiative is designed to help local sides feel a renewed sense of pride and be fully equipped for match day.
How to Enter the Competition
The entry period for this generous giveaway is open now and will run until Monday, March 30, 2026. Teams have two primary methods to submit their application:
- By scanning QR codes displayed on screens within participating local pubs. These include venues operated by major pub estates such as Mitchells & Butlers, Greene King, Marston's, and Craft Union.
- Via dedicated mobile applications, specifically the Mitchells & Butlers and Greene King apps.
Celebrating Community Stories
As part of the campaign's engagement strategy, clubs are encouraged to share on Instagram what winning this kit package would mean for their team and their wider community, using the dedicated hashtag #CarlingGrassroots.
A new feature for the 2026 campaign will see a selection of the winning teams filmed and featured across Carling's social media channels and on screens in local pubs. This aims to shine a national spotlight on the inspiring stories emanating from grassroots football communities.
Strengthening Local Bonds
The overarching goal of this grassroots initiative is twofold: to help clubs get match-ready and to foster stronger connections between local pubs and the football teams within their community. Pubs have historically served as vital social hubs for teams to gather and for supporters to connect.
Official Statement from Carling
Ryan McLaughlin, Brand Director for Carling at Molson Coors Beverage Company, commented on the campaign's purpose. "From packed stadiums to local pitches, football has always brought people together – and that's something Carling has championed for generations," he said.
"This campaign is about supporting the grassroots teams that keep the game alive in communities across the UK. Grassroots football is built on friendships, local support and the pub as a meeting place. By backing grassroots clubs, we want to help teams feel confident, match-ready and supported, while bringing local football and local pubs closer together and celebrating the shared passion that connects them."
Carling's Football Heritage
Carling's commitment to football is well-established. The brand is the official beer partner for both the Emirates FA Cup (men's) and the Adobe Women's FA Cup. In recent years, Carling has further strengthened its ties to the sport through sponsorship agreements with the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), and several prominent clubs including Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, and Everton.
For full terms and conditions, to submit an application, or to locate a participating pub, interested parties should visit the official campaign website.
