UK Politician, Women's Group Upset About Hooters Soccer Team

A UK politician and a women's group have called on the country's soccer governing body to take action against a Hooters restaurant sponsoring a youth soccer team.

Hooters Nottingham announced their plan to sponsor U-10 boys soccer team Burton Joyce Football Club. The restaurant announced its sponsorship deal with some photos of the restaurant's wait staff smiling with the players.

Never mind that the wait staff has exchanged their trademark orange shorts and low-cut white shirts for some tracksuits.

According to Fox News, Labour Party politician Barbara Keeley and women's rights group, Womenchester, were none-too-pleased about the team's new sponsor.

Both called on the Football Association, which governs soccer in the United Kingdom, to do something about the sponsorship arrangement. The local arm of the FA released a not-at-all-panicked statement amid the "backlash."

"We have become aware of a local sponsorship deal between Burton Joyce Under 10’s boys football team and Hooters of Nottingham. The County FA had not been approached by the club seeking sanction for the sponsorship and had we been, the request would have been declined in accordance with FA rules appertaining to the Kit and Advertising regulations," the statement read. 

So, Nottingham FA caved the second they felt an ounce of pressure.

Way to hand another W to the mob.

"Teaching boys to see girls as their body parts & judge them on their ‘female sex appeal’ does harm to boys & girls & does nothing to help build healthy relationships! It seems crazy that this needs to be said in 2022," Keeley wrote.

I'm pretty sure those kids were just happy to have a soccer team.

It's Crazy That This Team Could Be Left Without A Sponsor

Are we all on the same page that Hooters is a wing restaurant that kids are allowed to go to? That seems to have been lost somewhere.

I'm sure Keeley's constituents in Worsley and Eccles South are pleased that this is how she's been spending her time. Ruining some kids' soccer seasons because a restaurant has waitresses who wear shorts and tight shirts is what most taxpayers are looking for in their elected officials.

Nottingham FA said this in their statement but it bears repeating. "We understand the difficult climate that grassroots football operates under."

Yes, getting a sponsor can be difficult, especially now. Sponsors are a necessary part of youth sports.

So what happens if the team can't find another sponsor? Let's call Barbara Keeley and Womanchester and have them break the news to the kids that they won't be having a soccer season.

Maybe not; they'd probably enjoy that.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle