BetFred and SPFL Extend League Cup Agreement

The sports betting company BetFred has been a staunch supporter of Scottish Football for some time now and fans north of the border are set to become even more familiar with the brand. The latest announcement confirms that the existing arrangement between the operator and the SPFL sees BetFred confirmed as main sponsor of the Scottish League Cup for a further year.

Back on Board

The announcement is a timely one ahead of a double header of semi finals which will take place this Sunday at BT Murrayfield and at Hampden Park. Since the competition began in 2016, BetFred have been right there since the start so it’s very positive to see that partnership continuing for the 2019/2020 season at the very least.

It’s been a thrilling campaign for the League Cup and the last four comprise some of the giants of Scottish Football. Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts and Rangers are the names left in the hat and we could even see an Old Firm final later in the year.

It’s fair to see that the new competition has been a success and all parties are happy to see BetFred back on board.

Embraced

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said:

We are delighted to announce this sponsorship extension with Betfred as we build up to this Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-finals at BT Murrayfield and Hampden Park.

Betfred have fully embraced the new competition format since its inception in 2016 and we look forward to continuing our partnership until at least 2020.

In response, BetFred founder Fred Done added:

I feel that the revamped Betfred Cup has been a tremendous success and I had no hesitation in agreeing an extension to the current deal.

Innovative

A competition which may have been seen as a minor tournament has captured the imagination of the Scottish public thanks to a format which is, so far, unique in football. The League Cup started with a group phase that involved summer games and a bonus point system to help determine who would progress to the knockouts.

It all culminates in a final which will take place just before Christmas which means that the first piece of silverware will be decided in Scotland prior to the Christmas break. The bonus point system is something that we have seen in rugby union, limited overs cricket and other sports but this is truly something which breaks new ground in football and the SPFL should be applauded for bringing it in.

Since establishing themselves as a bookmaker way back in 1967, the BetFred brand has been behind a number of sports through sponsorship deals of this kind. Football, rugby league and snooker have all enjoyed the support of BetFred and this renewed deal with the SPFL is just an extension to that overall commitment.

It’s been an enjoyable season on the pitch and it will be fascinating to watch the remaining ties in this year’s tournament. In the meantime, the immediate future of the Scottish League Cup has been secured thanks to this latest announcement.