From Local Pubs to Local Picthes: Carling Backs Grassroots Football With Nationwide Kit Giveaway

Carling, the UK’s number one core lager brand[1], is bringing back its nationwide initiative to support grassroots football – partnering with pubs to offer local teams the chance to win fully personalised kits.

The initiative aims to help pubs forge stronger connections with their local teams by helping them get match ready, with 25 grassroots clubs each receiving £3,000 worth of kit. The bundles include home and away shirts, training jackets, match and training balls, as well as bibs and kit bags.

Running from Sunday 1st February to Monday 30th March, teams can enter by scanning QR codes on digital screens in participating Mitchells & Butlers, Greene King, Marston’s and Craft Union pubs, or via the Mitchells & Butlers and Greene King apps. Clubs will also be encouraged to share what it would mean for them and their community to win on Instagram, using #CarlingGrassroots.

New for 2026, a selection of winning clubs will be chosen at random to be filmed and featured across Carling’s social channels and on local pub screens, spotlighting grassroots football at a community level.

The campaign is supported by targeted paid media, alongside a pub finder tool to help consumers locate participating pubs – https://carlinggrassroots.com/t/publocations-grassroots, promoting the venues and helping to drive footfall.

Ryan Mclaughlin, Brand Director for Carling at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “From packed stadiums to local pitches, football has always brought people together – and that’s something Carling has championed for generations. 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. Pubs have long played an important role beyond the bar as places where teams gather, supporters connect and local culture thrives. 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.”

For full terms and conditions on the competition and to apply, visit: www.carlinggrassroots.com

Carling is the official beer partner for both the Emirates FA Cup men’s and Adobe Women’s FA Cup.

The brand has also strengthened its ties to football in recent years through sponsorship deals with the Football Association of Wales (FAW), Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and a host of top clubs including Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton.

ENDS

Terms and Conditions: 18+, UK only. Nominations open between 01.02.26–30.03.26. For the chance to win, entrants must nominate their grass roots football team stating why they should win. 1 nomination per team. Internet access and email address required. Prize: chance to win 1 of 25 Umbro football kits – consisting of 17 HOME SHIRTS, 17 AWAY SHIRTS (INC GK KIT), TRAINING JACKETS, MATCH BALLS, TRAINING BALLS, BIBS & BAGS. To nominate your team, visit carlinggrassroots.com. Full terms and conditions at carlinggrassroots.com.

About Molson Coors 

For over two centuries Molson Coors has been brewing beverages that unite people for all of life's moments. In the UK and Ireland we now have three breweries, with our UK home in the renowned brewing town, Burton upon Trent, and a nearly 300-year-old cider press in Suffolk.

Molson Coors produces some of the most beloved and iconic beer brands ever made, from the UK’s leading core lager brand, Carling, to popular favourites such as Coors, Madrí Excepcional, Pravha, Staropramen, Atlantic Pale Ale, Cobra, and the UK’s number one selling cask ale – Doom Bar.

While its history is rooted in beer, Molson Coors offers a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle, with a growing beverage range in the UK and Ireland including Aspall Cyder and Rekorderlig.

[1] CGA GB On Trade Volume 52 w/e 1-Nov-25 / Circana GB Off Trade 52 w/e 1-Nov-25

Contact: Billy.Hatcher@citypress.co.uk

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