Aston Villa have confirmed next season they will not be wearing shirts emblazoned with a sponsor but instead be the first team in the English Premier League to sponsor a charity instead.

The logo for the charity Acorns Children’s Hospice, a local hospice in the West Midlands, will appear on their shirts; a move which could cost them about £2 million in lost advertising revenue.

This is a fantastic move and one that I hope other rich Premiership teams will follow.  £2 million is a drop in the ocean for all the top clubs owned by multi-millions.

Barcelona only the only top level football club I know who have a similar arrangement.  Their policy was not to carry sponsorship on their shirts until they signed a five-year deal with Unicef in September 2006.

Barcelona also and contribute approximately £1 million every year to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

This is a fantastic gesture from Aston Villa, and being a local charity, also gives a true sense of giving something back to the local community.