Preston North End fans will be able to travel to away games for free thanks to new lead sponsor 888sport.
This is the first announcement from the online betting company who will be rolling out a series of activities as part of the ‘888sport Fans First Campaign.’
888sport will supply free travel to all midweek league fixtures prior to Christmas in a bid to help the team in their quest for promotion to the Premier League.
To watch every away league fixture this season Preston North End fans will travel over 3,200 miles at an average of 142 miles per game.
North End fans’ favourite, Joe Garner, commented: “Taking 7,000 away fans to Blackburn last season was one of the highlights of the year.
“Away support makes a big difference to the team and this initiative means we will have even more fans, making even more noise for some very big games away from Deepdale this season.”
Olivia Hanvey, the club’s head of commercial and ticketing, said: “We are one of the best away supported clubs in the country and it is brilliant to see a sponsor really listening to the fans and doing something positive to make their lives easier.”
Itai Pazner, Senior Vice President and Head of B2C at 888 Holdings, added: “We are very excited to be kicking off our Championship campaign with one of the most prestigious clubs in the competition.
“We believe that the Championship has retained the essence of true football and understand that fans are the heartbeat of every club, so we really want to help them with things that will make a significant different to their relationship with their team.
“We know how difficult it can be for fans to make the long journeys to away games in midweek, particularly when fixtures are changed with little notice and there are no return trains home.
“We are hoping that the free coaches will help get more travelling fans to and from the games and give the teams a real boost on the pitch.”
The free travel will include trips to Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City.
As part of the ‘888sport Fans First’ Campaign, the company also plan to offer the best odds in the market to fans from our sponsored clubs and as part of the sponsorship, fans will also get the opportunity to take up the ‘Goals Means More’ promotion on www.888sport.com and get a free £5 bet every time their team scores a goal.
To kick-off the ‘888sport Fans First’ campaign, 888sport is releasing a video showcasing the club’s unsung hero, Steve Cowell, the first team kit man. The video includes never-before-seen footage celebrating Steve’s hard work and gives fans a deeper insight into the realities of Championship life.
For more information go to www.888sport.com