Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have both been brutally mocked by bookmakers Paddy Power in their latest festive advert.
This year, the Irish bookies have chosen to look at the cherished memories of giving a child their first football shirt on Christmas morning. According to their research, 56 per cent of people receive their first shirt as a gift from someone else and that loyalty often sticks with them for life.
That is the story which plays out in the Paddy Power advert starring Danny Dyer and Eddie Hearn. It shows the life of 'Andy' who was introduced to being a Hardlypool United fan on Christmas morning by his dad (Dyer).
In the advert, we see Andy grow up through the years witnessing home thrashings, late goals conceded and, in a cheeky dig at Manchester City, seeing his team bought by a rich owner (Hearn) before having their titles stripped due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) irregularities. As the advert concludes, Andy is seen handing his son a brand new United top which is promptly thrown out so as to avoid more misery.
To promote their 'A Shirt’s Not Just For Christmas, It’s For Life,' campaign, Paddy Power has put a host of billboards up in major cities poking fun at Premier League clubs. In London, people will be able to see billboards with the straplines 'Fades After Eight Months,' in a dig at Arsenal's recent lack of longevity in the title race and 'Trophies Not Included,' a cruel mocking of Tottenham's baron spell without silverware.
Arsenal mocked in the new Paddy Power Christmas campaign
Arsenal mocked in the new Paddy Power Christmas campaign
In Manchester, City's includes the strapline 'Wash At 115 Degrees' and United's reads 'Don’t Get Your Hopes Up.' Billboards in Liverpool shall show the comment 'Contract Renewals Not Included,' while Newcastle's pokes fun at their Saudi Arabian owners with 'Machine Sports Washable.'
The 2024 Paddy Power Christmas advert can be viewed here.