If you happen to catch an English Football League match, or play a video game involving a certain team, you might be surprised what’s on the players’ jerseys.
Starting this coming season, that will be a maple leaf and the words “Newfoundland and Labrador.”
The province has just entered a two-year partnership with fourth-tier Barrow AFC to promote itself as a destination for immigration.
While using a sport sponsorship to attract immigration is certainly innovative, the move has also drawn the ire of opposition politicians, who call it a waste of taxpayer dollars, especially at a time when the federal government is reining in immigration levels amid public backlash.
The choice of soccer and the U.K. has also raised some eyebrows.
“I suppose the hope is to attract people from England and Scotland?” asked sociology professor Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair on Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
“This doesn’t seem like a very reasonable strategy. There are so many people that would appreciate this opportunity.”
To be clear, we’re not talking about the Premier League’s Arsenal or Manchester United. Barrow AFC plays in the English Football League 2, the fourth tier in English soccer, based in Barrow-in-Furness in the north, and its home stadium has a capacity of about 6,000.
The deal with Barrow allows the Newfoundland and Labrador name and brand — and its newly launched website HomeAwaits.ca — featured on the club’s home and away jerseys and as the team tours, viewed in broadcast, streaming platforms and the EA Sports’ “FC 25” video game franchise.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 15, 2024 من Toronto Star.
اشترك في Magzter GOLD للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 15, 2024 من Toronto Star.
اشترك في Magzter GOLD للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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