Stick it to the sponsors

Prince William at the FA Cup final. Photo: BBC.

Did you know there's a Facebook community advocating for people to put pressure on key FIFA sponsors to pull their funds - or exercise leverage for change.

Sponsors targetted include: Adidas, Coca Cola, Kia, Hyundai, Emirates, Sony, Visa, Budweiser, Castrol, Continental, McDonalds, oi, Seara, Itaú, Liberty Seguros, Chocolates Nescau. Organisers are asking people to boycott these companies, their subsidiaries and their brands. The Campaign is not intended to question the products, services or general business practices of the companies themselves. It's intended to send a message to the companies that their support of FIFA is causing them to lose business - ultimately with the hope that the sponsors will withdraw their support for FIFA until such time as it eliminates corruption as much as reasonably possible.

(Mmm, this raises a predicament for me - the only company of the above I use is VISA, but I need to clear my debts first - unless I could negotiate a favourable transfer of funds ….)

TV satirist John Oliver also got stuck into FIFA on his "Last Week Tonight" show yesterday - and pledged severe sacrifices (on his part) to FIFA's sponsors, if only they would get rid of Sepp Blatter.

Meanwhile, Prince William used the opportunity of the FA Cup final at the home of football to call for reform of the world's governing body. He said: "There seems to be a huge disconnect between the sense of fair play that guides those playing and supporting the game, and the allegations of corruption that have long lingered around the management of the sport internationally. … Those backing Fifa, such as sponsors and the regional confederations, must do their bit to press these reforms - we are doing football and its fans no favours if we do not."

Will he be our Prince to slay the mighty dragon?