Neville urging fans of EFL clubs to back local small businesses
Three winning businesses will have the chance to win bespoke club partnerships with the aim to gain exposure and drive growth. Additional finalists will receive business grants from Sage and promotional opportunities at EFL matches.
'Local businesses thrive on matchdays,' Neville said.
'Small businesses know how important football clubs are and clubs know fans need hospitality and service on those days. They need the local businesses to still be there to support the fanbase.
'A football club can never forget where it has come from, that is one of my constant messages. It needs to be the beating heart of a community and sit there to help people, support people, be the release, the energy, the life, the laugh.
'There are very few things in life that make your veins pop out like when your team score a goal or make you as angry as when your team lose.
'That emotion and feeling is absolutely critical.'
Neville, who represented Manchester United on 602 occasions between 1992 and 2011, has since turned his hand to various entrepreneurial enterprises alongside his award-winning punditry with Sky Sports.
He co-owns League Two outfit Salford City with some of his 'Class of 92' teammates and has a lifelong insight into how crucial football clubs are to their surrounding small businesses, and vice-versa.
'Growing up in Bury, being an owner of Salford and supporting (Manchester) United, I have seen the importance of football to local towns, cities, communities and local businesses at all levels,' he said.
'Manchester United not being in Europe this year has a massive impact on the city of Manchester. Manchester United doing well and City doing well has a huge impact on the city. It's the same with Salford, the same with Bury.
'Football clubs are not just important economically, they are important for the spirit in the city, the feeling of energy.
'That can largely be defined sometimes by how the football team is doing. It has such an impact on the local community.'
The 85-cap England international is working with Sage to spotlight the vital role of small businesses in the EFL ecosystem, a partnership he is delighted to be a part of.
'It's hard work setting up a small business,' he added. 'Everyone does it with great enthusiasm and passion, I've done it myself here in Manchester, but you need systems, you need processes, I call it a defence.
'The nuts and bolts is making sure your defence is looked after and you're not conceding goals.
'Small businesses need that more than ever in what is a challenging time to operate and Sage do great work helping with that.'
Gary Neville is encouraging fans to celebrate the businesses behind the badge on behalf of Sage, the Official Accounting Software Partner of the EFL. To nominate your local business hero and a chance to win VIP hospitality tickets, visit Sage.com/behindthebadge
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