Little Lions pre-school football club debuts new kit after dad sponsors team
A Northampton pre-school footballers' club has been kitted out after scooping an £800 sponsorship deal with a local builder.
Little Lions football practice, run by E M Academy, has been donated 18 sets of shirts, shorts and socks in the club's team colours by builder Ryan Small.
The £800 worth of kit is emblazoned with the Newline Builders company logo, giving the children, aged between two and five, a chance to play with team spirit while helping Ryan spread word of his company.
Ryan said: "My little boy Tommy loves going to Little Lions. He's been making so much progress since he got there. I got talking to the organiser, Martin, and it came up that they didn't have a set kit. I thought it would be good for the kids to play in uniform and I decided I would take care of it.
"I was able to get it sorted with the printers, Cybersigns, who made the uniform for my business, Newline Builders.
"I just think I would have loved to have had that as a kid. The kids seem to love the kit. It was like Christmas when they saw it. It makes me proud to see them get excited to go out and play."
The up-and-coming young footballers debuted their new kits at practise October - although they will have to wait until they are six before they can play other teams.
Little Lions coach and E M Academy director Martin Knowles said: "I came up with Little Lions as a fun way for pre-schoolers to practise core skills in footballing. We play different games to help them learn ball skills.
"Ryan very kindly offered to source new kit for them and I'm very grateful. I love it, the parents love it and the kids seem really happy with it.
"All that matters is the kids have fun."
For more information on Little Lions and the E M Academy, visit their Facebook page.Ryan launched Newline Builders in 2016 with his business partner Lee Hewlett. For more information, visit their website.