A JUNIOR football club has backed a North-East campaign urging for time to be called on alcohol sports sponsorship in time for the World Cup.

Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, is highlighting the damaging influence that alcohol marketing and sports sponsorship can have on children and young people.

To kick off the campaign and to help sports clubs encourage a healthy active life, the organisation has sponsored a team kit for Bishop Auckland St Mary’s Juniors Under 10s.

Colin Shevills, director of Balance, said: “The World Cup is not only a celebration of football, but also a festival of alcohol advertising by big alcohol brands on TV and social media.

“The event will be watched by millions of children and young people who will be exposed to these adverts.

“We believe they should be able to watch their sport without being constantly exposed to alcohol marketing.”

The organisation claims during the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, researchers found there were more than 100 alcohol marketing messages per televised match in the UK, France and Ireland.

They say research shows that exposure to alcohol marketing encourages children to drink at an earlier age and in greater quantities than they otherwise would.

Bishop Auckland St. Mary’s Junior’s has 21 teams ranging from Little Stars, Under 5s, to Under 23s.

The club has a strong ethos of supporting initiatives to improve the health of its young people, becoming the first junior football club in County Durham to implement smoke free sidelines. Chairman Steve Coulthard said: “I am delighted that Balance North East have chosen to sponsor one of our teams and, as a club, we are happy to support Balance in their ambition to kick alcohol promotion out of the sight of young people.

“In the adult world, football and alcohol seem to go hand in hand which sends our young athletes the wrong message.

“At Junior Football Clubs we are often in the unique position of seeing the children who play for us grow from toddlers into young adults.

“I’d like to think we can play a part in helping the children who are part of our club to make healthy choices and achieve their footballing potential.

“Alcohol certainly has no place in grassroots football.”

Among the sponsors for the FIFA World Cup 2018, which dubs itself as “one of the world’s largest events” are Budweiser and MacDonald’s.