A $53 million Federal Government anti-binge drinking strategy to wean sports off alcohol sponsorships has been flouted in a State Government deal with Coopers Brewery.

Unveiling the deal between the State Government owned Hindmarsh Stadium and Coopers Brewery yesterday, Sports Minister Leon Bignell said it will “benefit Adelaide United FC and its supporters”.

However, just one year ago Adelaide United was part of a funding deal between the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) and the Federal Government to stop alcohol promotion.

United lost Coopers as a front-of-shirt sponsor after the FFA signed up to the National Binge Drinking Strategy deal, in which the Commonwealth provided $25 million in sponsorship to promote safe drinking messages in exchange for the banning of alcohol promotion.

The deal meant the FFA and its member clubs were prevented from having alcohol company sponsorships. The FFA pocketed millions – yet the Coopers signage at Hindmarsh Stadium will now be bigger than ever.

The FFA told InDaily today it was consulted about the deal, but had no capacity to prevent it.

“We were consulted, however stadium rights are outside of the FFA’s control and remit,” soccer’s governing body’s media manager Mark Jensen said.

“The Stadium’s new naming rights agreement does not contravene our ANPHA partnership.”

When asked whether the deal contravened the spirit of the anti-alcohol strategy, Jensen said the question “doesn’t really apply”.

The FFA also would not comment on how much money it or Adelaide United had received from the NBDS; “we don’t comment about the commercial value of our partnerships  as that is commercial in confidence”.

In July last year Cooper’s Brewery chairman Glen Cooper told InDaily the National Binge Drinking Strategy had seen his company barred from several local sports associations.

“We’re out of the Adelaide United deal, obviously; then there’s the equestrian three day event that we sponsor and a range of minor deals with netball and basketball,” he said. “It’s very disappointing for us.”

One year on and the Coopers sign is back at soccer’s largest South Australian venue.

It came on the first day that Adelaide Entertainments Corporation took over management of the stadium from the State Government.

The Corporation is responsible for the management of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and its Board is appointed by the Minister for Tourism.

It reports directly to the Minister.

When contacted about the new deal, Adelaide United said it knew nothing of the Coopers arrangement.

“Adelaide United has not been part of the process at any stage and has not seen or been advised of a media release,” the club’s CEO Glenn Elliott said.

United’s exclusion from the announcement seemed odd, given Bignell’s comments regarding the benefits accruing to the club.

“This five year sponsorship agreement will help to fund improvements to the stadium which will benefit Adelaide United FC and its supporters,” Bignell said.

“Coopers Stadium is regarded as one of the best, purpose built soccer stadiums in the country and this new deal will only enhance that reputation.”

The National Binge Drinking Strategy was announced in June last year by then- federal Minister for Sport, Senator Kate Lundy.

The $53 million Strategy included a $25 million Community Sponsorship Fund aimed at giving sports an alternative to relying on alcohol sponsorship to support their clubs.

“The sponsorship agreements act as an alternative to alcohol sponsorship in sport and do not affect the pourage rights and service of alcohol at stadiums and events,” then-Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said in a joint statement with Lundy at the time.

“I’ve been impressed by the enthusiasm shown by these 12 national sporting organisations to reduce the exposure of young people to alcohol imagery and branding,” Butler said.

The sporting organisations that took up the anti-alcohol funding were: Football Federation of Australia, Netball Australia, Swimming Australia, Basketball Australia, Cycling Australia, Hockey Australia, Athletics Australia, Volleyball Australia, Equestrian Australia, Triathlon Australia, Canoeing Australia and Skateboarding Australia.

The Coopers deal finds a neat loophole in the National Binge Drinking Strategy’s arrangements with national sporting organisations.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing told InDaily the commercial sponsorship arrangements under the strategy “typically do not include venue naming rights”.

She twice declined to respond to questions about whether the department had been consulted on the Coopers deal and if it contravened the spirit of the National Binge Drinking Strategy.

The office of South Australia’s Minister for Sport, however, confirmed that discussions had been held.

“Football Federation Australia were consulted and confirmed that stadium naming rights are beyond its area of responsibility and that the arrangement would not affect its fixtures,” the Minister’s office said today in an emailed response.

Asked if the arrangement was within the spirit of the NBDS, Leon Bignell’s office said it had no bearing on “business arrangements”.

“The National Binge Drinking Strategy is an agreement between the Commonwealth and individual sporting clubs,” it said in a statement.

“It has no bearing on a business agreement between a stadium manager and a sponsor.

“Coopers Brewery is a well regarded South Australian business which sponsors many artistic, sporting and cultural events.”