Why Wigan Warriors sponsors Uncle Joe's think they have a record

After reaching the 60-year milestone - and agreeing terms for next season - they say it is one of the longest associations in the world.

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls are made by Wigan-based William Santus and Co Ltd, a privately-owned traditional sweet company that was established in 1898.

Over the years, its support for Wigan Warriors has ranged from sponsoring perimeter boards to supplying man of the match awards and in 2006 it even made a special edition red and white Wigan Warriors version of Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, called Warrior Mints.

The company has just agreed to sponsor the club’s Cherry and White Lounge for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

John and Ant Winnard, Joint Managing Directors of Uncle Joe’s, revealed how their father, company boss John Winnard Snr, and long-serving staff member Tommy Bennett used to stay behind after matches to assess how many sweets they had sold to the fans.

John said: “They used to look down at the terraces and see how many empty sweet wrappers had been discarded by supporters.

“If it had been a close game people used to get through more sweets to cope with the tension but the feel-good factor after a narrow victory used to make them finish off the bag to celebrate!”

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls has also sponsored other sports clubs, including the town’s football team, but its connection with Wigan Warriors is believed to be the longest association with a sports team in the UK.

The world record is Ford’s sponsorship of the Geelong Cats Australian Rules Football League team which began in 1925.