English professional football club Scunthorpe United F.C. has announced its first venture into esports, entering into a partnership with Virtual Pro Gaming.
Virtual Pro Gaming is a virtual football platform that sees teams of 11 players competing against each other on FIFA – the latest edition, FIFA 19, will be released on September 19th.
Rob Noble, Head of Marketing, Ticketing and Retail at Scunthorpe United commented on the venture in a statement: “Having seen the incredible growth in competitive online gaming, we’re excited to be working with VPG and taking our first steps into esports.
“Along with providing additional content and growth for our digital platforms, we see it as a great opportunity for supporters to represent their football club, so we hope that plenty of Iron fans will take up the opportunity to trial for a place on the team.”
Other partners of Virtual Pro Gaming include Oxford United F.C., Atlantic City F.C., Panathinaikos F.C., and Georgia Revolution F.C. A new league will kick off in October of this year.
Arron Dellosa, CEO of Virtual Pro Gaming added: “It’s great to see Scunthorpe United take their first steps into esports with VPG. 11v11 is a growing esport, which allows fans to engage and take part in league and tournament matches against many teams around the world. 11v11 is what football is all about, involves team work, communication on the virtual pitch and most importantly enjoyment.”
Esports Insider says: It’s a shame to Scunthorpe United start off on the wrong foot by using a capital ‘S’ in esports, but that can be changed in the future. Not many lower-level UK football clubs are involved in esports as of yet, so this is an encouraging story.