The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
Jun 24, 2022
Robinsons end 86-year Wimbledon partnership
Independent TV
Robinsons' batch of fruity drinks have – arguably – been as synonymous with Wimbledon as the humble strawberries and cream, but it’s been reported the long-running sponsorship has ended after more than 85 years.
The company confirmed to a Twitter user on Wednesday that it is “no longer sponsoring Wimbledon fortnight” and would instead be focussing on its new promotional campaign, The Big Fruit Hunt.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the sporting contest, the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), said in a statement: “After more than 80 years, we can confirm that the partnership between the AELTC and Robinsons has come to an end.
“We are tremendously proud of the historic association with Robinsons over so many years and thank them for the wider role they have played in supporting Wimbledon and tennis across the UK.”
But it wasn’t long after the news was made public that the jokes followed – something about squash in terms of a drink, and squash in terms of the sport, for the most part:
\u201cThe break up was described as cordial\u201d— Sean Nolan (@Sean Nolan) 1656060326
\u201c@guardian Always felt they'd gone for the wrong racquet sport...\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201c@guardian Does this mean players won't be able to get juice if they win a point at 30-40?\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201c@guardian To squash any rumours now, it is not to concentrate on liquidation.\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201cRelationship has been squashed\u201d— Ismail Mutlib (@Ismail Mutlib) 1656082157
\u201cThis will end up diluting things\u201d— Mark Stephens (@Mark Stephens) 1656071398
\u201cthey\u2019d rather sponsor a squash tournament\u201d— Kate Lee (@Kate Lee) 1656069208
Others have already gotten to work on suggesting replacement drinks:
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\u201c@guardian Now your chance @vimto as king of the north when it comes to fruit drinks this could be the stage your looking for to go worldwide!\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201c@tom_catbiscuit @guardian @vimto @irnbru for Wimbers, surely? Or perhaps only the Brits? #madefromgirders\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201c@guardian Irn-Bru to step into the breach...\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
\u201c@guardian The relationship was more and more diluted in recent years. #illGetMyCoat\u201d— The Guardian (@The Guardian) 1656059906
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