REVEALED: Why Blackburn teenager Rory Finneran wasn't allowed to wear a sponsor on his shirt as the... (original) (raw)
REVEALED: Why Blackburn teenager Rory Finneran wasn't allowed to wear a sponsor on his shirt as the 15-year-old became the club's youngest ever player in late FA Cup cameo
- Blackburn debutant Rory Finneran wears shirt with no sponsor due to vaping age
- The 15-year-old is too young to wear the logo of Rover's current shirt sponsor
- Clubs are RIGHT to realise that stellar players shouldn't just walk into management. They have to do the hard yards - It's All Kicking Off
Published: 14:34 EST, 6 January 2024 | Updated: 15:34 EST, 6 January 2024
Blackburn Rovers debutant Rory Finneran was forced to wear a sponsor-less shirt on his first appearance for the club, down to being too young to promote the club's vaping partner.
Rovers came from behind to defeat League Two Cambridge United 5-2 in the FA Cup Third Round, with Sammie Szmodics helping himself to a first half hat-trick.
The margin of victory allowed boss Jon Dahl Tomasson to give 15-year-old Finneran his first team debut, to make him the club's youngest-ever player.
Upon his introduction to the field, eagle-eyed fans would have noticed that his shirt was missing the logo of shirt sponsor Totally Wicked.
The reason behind his sponsor-less shirt is because the teenager is below the legal age to vape in the UK and therefore wasn't permitted to wear the company's logo on his shirt.
15-year-old Rory Finneran made his Blackburn debut against Cambridge without a sponsor
The club's sponsor is Totally Wicked, a vaping company who's head office is in Blackburn
The highly-rated Irishman made a late cameo in the game, coming on as a 91st-minute sub for hat-trick hero Szmodics.
Midfielder Finneran is the current Republic of Ireland’s under-15 player of the year and is said to be highly thought of by the Lancashire club.
Totally Wicked has been the club's sponsor since January 2022, and the company's head office is in Blackburn.
Sammie Szmodics netted a hat-trick in the game to see off Cambridge United 5-2 in the FA Cup
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The three goals from Szmodics means the midfielder is now on 19 goals for the season, and only Notts County's Macauley Longstaff has scored more than the Rovers man across all four leagues.
It's the first treble for a Rovers player in the FA Cup since Josh King netted a hat-trick against Stoke City in February 2001.