Blackburn’s 15-year-old FA Cup star forced to wear different shirt from his team-mates in bizarre kit quirk
BLACKBURN teenager Rory Finneran became the club’s youngest debutant – but was not allowed to wear the same kit as his team-mates.
Finneran broke Rovers’ 113-year record when he stepped on to the pitch in injury time of the FA Cup third-round win over Cambridge.
The youngster, who replaced hat-trick hero Sam Szmodics, got the nod from Jon Dahl Tomasson at the tender age of just 15 years and 312 days.
However, he was forced to take to the field in a slightly different shirt.
Blackburn have Totally Wicked as their front-of-shirt sponsors this season.
The Blackburn-based company sell vapes.
But because it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy a vape in the UK, Finneran could not have the sponsor on his kit.
And instead the youngster had a blank front below the club’s badge and Macron kit supplier logo.
According to Opta, Finneran played for just one minute and did not get a single touch before the ref blew for full-time.
Blackburn ran out comfortable 5-2 winners against their League One opponents to book their place in round four.
Interestingly, Jobe Bellingham DID play for both Birmingham and Sunderland with betting companies’ logos across his front before turning 18.
However, clubs that advertise age-restricted products and services such as vaping and gambling on their kit sell alternative replica junior kits for kids.
They tend to either have a blank front – like Finneran’s at Ewood Park – or have the sponsorship replaced with the club foundation or a charity.
English teams playing in Europe this season have also had to remove their betting firms from their shirts when travelling to play in certain countries.
For example, Villa switched from their controversial BK8 to the Aston Villa Foundation when they took on AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands in October.