EFL Championship side Millwall have left fans baffled by announcing the launch of their own mobile phone network.
The club currently sit in 11th place in the Championship table, six points adrift of the play-off positions. They came out as 1-0 winners over Stoke City before the international break, and return to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to take on Sunderland (3pm kick-off).
But it seems the international break has given the club time to concentrated on off-the-field matters, with one of those being the launch of the mobile network.
In a statement on their official website the club have confirmed the launch of Millwall Mobile, in Partnership with Shaka. The mobile network will be powered by Three and is said to offer 99/9% UK coverage.
In the statement, the club’s chief commercial officer, Luke Wilson explained the decision: “With the advent of eSIMs there are now a number of virtual networks in the UK run by a variety of brands including Supermarkets and Satellite TV providers,” he said.
"There are also several football clubs in Europe who have taken advantage of the technology to deliver affordable and rewarding mobile plans to their fans, backed up by the reliability and scale of a main network provider.”
"We’re delighted to be the first club in the country to bring this model to the UK and to our fans. Ahead of the proposed Three/Vodafone merger, we believe our tie up with shaka, a pioneering connectivity provider, will not only mean our fans will have great value, flexible plans that reward their loyalty via the club benefits on offer – but also access to the best network in London.”
The announcement has prompted a response from fans on social media. Responses raise from confusion to fans of other teams poking fun at the initiative.
