The Portman Group, which is supported by the UK’s leading drinks producers, and aims to promote alcohol responsibly, announced the new rules in June 2007.
They state that alcohol branding must not appear on children’s replica sports shirts under sponsorship agreements signed after 1 January 2008.
David Poley, Portman Group chief executive, said:
“No drinks company ever sets out to communicate to children. It’s right that producers have decided to close the door on this unintended consequence of sports sponsorship.”
Carling has sponsored Rangers and Celtic since 2003.
While the clubs’ replica kits for children are already available without branding, these will become standard next season.
Coors Brewers CEO Mark Hunter told the BBC the decision to remove the branding on shirts for children was a step towards encouraging responsible drinking.
He said: “To be honest, I don’t think this one move in isolation will discourage underage drinking.
“It’s part of a much bigger plane that the whole alcohol industry is stepping up to.
“We hear the concerns of the public, we hear the concerns of the government.
“I think this is one facet of a number of different initiatives currently under consideration or that have already taken place.”
But an alcohol concern group has called for a total ban on alcohol sponsorship in sport.
Jack Law, from Alcohol Focus Scotland, said he supported the move but called for a total ban on sports sponsorship.
Hunter disagreed, stating Coors did not think it was necessary to withdraw its branding from adult shirts.
“We don’t want to do that because it’s an important part of building our brand. We feel that targeting people of legal drinking age and above is appropriate and we will continue to do that.”
