Ladbrokes has announced the signing of a new partnership deal with small-sided football provider Powerleague, offering footballers across the UK and Ireland access to Powerleague pitches for free, as well as launching its first-ever nationwide tournament.

Year one of the Ladbrokes and Powerleague collaboration will see the betting brand partner with the provider of small-sided football, which describes its clubs as aimed at bringing local people together. The initiative was brokered for Ladbrokes by M&C Saatchi.

Ladbrokes and Powerleague will be offering “Prime-Time Pitches”, giving customers the chance to access free pitches every Thursday during peak hours at 10 Powerleague Clubs across the UK and Ireland.

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Teams will be able to enter the pitch giveaway through Ladbrokes’ Twitter channel. The Prime-Time Pitches giveaway will give customers the chance to access up to GBP 400 of pitch time across a four-week period.

The partnership also includes a nationwide 5-a-side football tournament, offering players across the country the chance to be crowned “the best 5-a-side team in the UK”. The tournament will feature 480 teams across four Powerleague Clubs, with the grand final taking place in Birmingham.

“There will be more entertainment than just the action on the pitch. The qualifying rounds and final will include live music, live screenings, celebrities and football talent and will be linked to cultural and football events,” Ladbrokes said in a statement.

During the nationwide tournament, players will have access to Powerleague’s pitch camera technology, which means players “can capture and record moments of skill”. The best moments will be rewarded with prizes, while Ladbrokes will also share the best ones on their social channels.

Ladbrokes’ Irish customers will also be able to make the most of the new partnership, with the “Prime-Time Pitches” offer available at Powerleague Dublin Spawell. To celebrate the launch, Ladbrokes and Powerleague will be setting up a “Goals in Holes” activation at the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown. Racegoers will have the chance to win access to a prime-time pitch by topping the “Goals in Holes” leaderboard, where they gain points for each hole they get the ball through.

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Kelly Rose, Head of Brand for Ladbrokes, said: “We can’t wait to kick off this partnership with Powerleague. It will help Ladbrokes build a presence at the heart of football culture and entertainment, and really underlines our ‘We Play Together’ proposition.”

“We want to give players of all levels the opportunity to have a chance of claiming a pitch at a prime time for free and our first-ever national tournament promises to mix football with popular culture in a way that has never been done before,” Rose added.

Dominic Reed, Head of Commercial for Powerleague, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this partnership with Ladbrokes and building on the ‘We Play Together’ messaging which resonates so well with us. Powerleague customers and the wider 5-a-side community are in for a real game-changing experience in tournament football at their local Powerleague venue.”

“We hope over the duration of the partnership many more players from our local communities have the chance to claim their prime-time slots and engage in the health and wellbeing benefits that Powerleague offers,” Reed added.