Rangers goalkeeper backs Team Talk mental health scheme as logo takes shirt spot for Europa League tie
Liam Kelly has praised Rangers Charity Foundation's Team Talk programme after Unibet handed over its front-of-shirt sponsorship space for the club's Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club.
Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly has spoken in support of the Rangers Charity Foundation’s Team Talk initiative, a mental health and wellbeing programme aimed at men, after meeting participants who have taken part in the scheme.
The Team Talk logo replaced the usual sponsor branding on Rangers’ shirts for the club’s Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, after Unibet donated its regular front-of-shirt space to the charity for the fixture. The initiative is funded by club sponsor FDJ United, the parent company of 32Red and Unibet.
Five years of community outreach
Team Talk has been running since 2020 and is designed to engage men who might not otherwise seek support for mental health issues, using football as an entry point. According to the Rangers Charity Foundation, an estimated four million men in the UK experience mental health problems.
The programme runs free, weekly two-hour football sessions, combining informal matches with a dedicated “mental health catch-up area” where participants can discuss personal difficulties in a supportive setting. Virtual sessions are also available for supporters who cannot attend in person.
Long-running partnership
The relationship between Rangers and 32Red/Unibet dates back to 2014 and is regarded as the longest-continuous sponsorship arrangement in British football. FDJ United has said community-focused sponsorship has remained a central part of that partnership.
John Joyce, a coach with the Rangers Charity Foundation, encouraged men experiencing isolation to get involved, saying the stigma around men discussing personal struggles tends to ease once they join the project.
Participant Alan Slater said the scheme has become “a new friendship group for life” as well as a source of exercise, adding that many supporters are unaware Unibet’s shirt sponsorship helps fund the initiative. Fellow participant Andy Keenan said joining Team Talk had changed his outlook, giving him something to look forward to after work.
Tom Banks, group head of corporate affairs at FDJ United, said the company continues to prioritise support for communities around the club, noting that donating the front-of-shirt space for high-profile matches such as the Athletic Club tie was part of that ongoing commitment.