Whether it is a small amateur club or a major national team, Thwaites believes in backing sports of all scales
Thwaites Brewery is not just about great pubs and great beers - it's also about making the company name synonymous with the north's rich sporting heritage. Few brewers in the UK can claim to have closer contacts with sports of every kind than the Blackburn-based company, which has forged unique links with clubs throughout the region.
Nor does its role simply involve the high-profile world of Premiership soccer and county cricket. Thwaites' sporting pedigree stretches from the lofty heights of Premier League Blackburn Rovers and Lancashire County Cricket Club at Old Trafford down to the humblest amateur rugby or golf club.
The brewery hit the headlines three years ago with the high-profile sponsorship of England and Lancashire cricket star Andrew Flintoff - a deal which paid fantastic dividends when the Preston-born all-rounder helped England win a memorable Ashes series against Australia.
Flintoff's endorsement of Thwaites' flagship premium cask beer Lancaster Bomber saw sales take off and put the brand on a national footing. Now it is investing time and money helping amateur clubs unearth the next Freddie Flintoff or emerging David Beckham, and its involvement with grass-roots sports of all kinds puts it in the perfect position to do just that.
The Lancaster Bomber Grass Roots Sports Personality of the Year invites sports clubs across the north to nominate their club, team or individual player to receive the coveted award. Thwaites supplies and supports a wealth of local amateur golf, football, cricket and rugby clubs across the region, helping it establish a reputation as the number-one beer name in sports sponsorship.
Several years ago Thwaites began to supply and
sponsor Lancashire county cricket and this summer it announced a new two-year deal to extend its backing for
the Old Trafford club.
The name of Lancashire Bomber will appear on the back of the Lancashire shirts in a deal that also confirmed pouring rights in bars throughout the stadium.
Twelve months ago Thwaites also clinched a high-profile supply deal for the town's Premiership soccer club Blackburn Rovers at its Ewood Park ground. In addition, the brewery supplies the bars at the grounds of Championship clubs Burnley and Blackpool.
Sales director Brian Jenkins knows that high-profile deals like these flag up the name of Thwaites to a big audience, but insists it's the deals won at amateur clubs that provide real grass-roots sports value. Hundreds of small clubs across the north-west have cause to be thankful to Thwaites for their backing and support. The brewery has won countless beer supply accounts to these clubs alongside equally-valuable support and sponsorship packages.
"It's not just about supplying beer to these clubs, it's about a wider package of support that aims to underpin basic grass-roots sports across the region," explains Jenkins. "Obviously, we are in the business of selling beer, but the package we can offer sports clubs goes a lot further than that, because it provides other things that underpin the reasons why amateur clubs like these exist."
Brands and marketing manager Lee Williams adds: "We are now associated with cricket from grass-roots clubs up to the national arena. But, just as important, we are investing in what will hopefully be the next big star to hit the stage. Grass-roots sports and our beers are closely linked.
"They both play a part in people's lives so if it's sports and it's in the north you can rest assured, Thwaites will not be too far away."