Sela To Debut Groundbreaking Haptic Newcastle United Shirt
Newcastle United’s front-of-shirt sponsor, Sela, is set to introduce groundbreaking haptic shirts which will enable deaf fans and fans with hearing loss to experience the incredible atmosphere of St. James’ Park.
For the first time ever in a live football match, haptic technology embedded into the club’s iconic black and white striped shirts will transform the noise of the stadium into a real-time touch sensation.
Debuting at this weekend’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, fans and the match day mascots, who are deaf or have hearing loss, will be wearing the shirts in the stands.
The initiative, which has been driven by Saudi Arabia-based live events and experiences company Sela, is set to continue at all Newcastle United home games.
The match will also see Sela donate its front-of-shirt sponsorship to RNID, the national charity supporting the 12 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, the first time a hearing loss charity has been promoted on a Premier League front-of-shirt.
Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur at 12:30pm on Saturday 13th April at St. James’ Park.
Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President of Sela, commented, “Ensuring every fan is able to experience the amazing atmosphere is so important to us as a sponsor of Newcastle United.
“St. James’ Park is renowned for its noise and passion. Through this initiative we hope to enable deaf fans and fans with hearing loss to feel a part of this.“
“We would welcome the whole football family to join us by adopting the technology. By acting now, we can collectively make watching live football matches an incredible experience for everyone who loves the game.”
Peter Silverstone, Chief Commercial Officer at Newcastle United, added, “When Sela shared the idea and technology behind the haptic shirts, we supported the concept immediately, knowing it would make such an impact to our supporters who are deaf or have hearing loss.
“Newcastle United’s partnership with Sela continues to provide spectacular experiences for our growing global fanbase. We are also proud that, together, we can shine a light on the positive work of Newcastle United Foundation as well as the City of Newcastle, itself. This inspiring campaign is highly innovative and the first-of-its-kind.
‘Unsilence the Crowd’ fills everybody associated with this initiative with deep pride, from all Newcastle United, Newcastle United Foundation, Sela and RNID, along with all stakeholders who have helped make this possible.
“We believe that ‘Unsilence the Crowd’ will be truly game-changing for football and expect this campaign will revolutionise the football experience for any fan who is deaf or has hearing loss, regardless of which team they support.”
Teri Devine, Director for Inclusion at RNID, added, “One in five adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss, but people often face barriers in everyday life – including in live sports events. It’s fantastic to see Sela and Newcastle United leading the way in championing this technology which has the potential to have a real and lasting impact on how people who are deaf and have hearing loss experience live sports.”
“We’re excited to be part of this collaboration and we hope this exposure opens up conversations amongst football fans about hearing loss and encourages other football clubs to raise their game and make sure deaf fans are fully included.”
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