NFL legend Rob Gronkowski interrupted coverage of the Super Bowl to tell a grassroots American football team in Swindon that they had won £400,000.
Gronkowski, who played for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spoke to grassroots club Swindon Storm, to tell them they had been awarded the grant as part of the Cash4Clubs programme.
Members of the club had gathered at a sports bar to watch Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles – a game won by the Eagles – when their broadcast dropped and Gronkowski took to the screen.
‘Hi Swindon! Rob Gronkowski here,’ he began. ‘Sorry to interrupt your Super Bowl Sunday, but I have a special message for everyone at Swindon Storm watching from Route 66 tonight.
He continued: ‘One of your coaches, Andy Wilson, applied for a Cash4Clubs grant funded by Flutter. They heard about all the great work you guys are doing to grow American football in the UK and keep adults involved in sport.
‘So here I am, on the biggest screen in Swindon, to tell you that your club is the first of 200 clubs across the UK and Ireland to be awarded a Cash4Clubs grant this year. Best of luck in the BAFA league. And remember: You are the Storm! Enjoy the big game tonight.’
NFL legend Rob Gronkowski interrupted coverage of the Super Bowl to tell a grassroots team they had won a share of £400,000
Swindon Storm had gathered to watch the event and their broadcast dropped to show the announcement of the news
Travis Kelce was left disappointed as his side lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles on the night
The remaining 199 awards will be given out at the end of the month. Swindon Storm club coach Andy Wilson, meanwhile, said the ‘transformational’ Cash4Clubs grant would go towards all-important pads and protective gear for new joiners.
Founded nearly 20 years ago, the initiative grants 200 gifts worth £2,000 each every year, focusing on supporting clubs in deprived areas. Last year, 85 per cent of the those receiving funding said they had been able to deliver more health and fitness activities and drive participation as a result.
On the field, for the second time in seven years, the Birds clinched a championship, with fans taking to the streets of Philadelphia to celebrate the win in the hours that followed it and the Eagles themselves dropped a hint as to when the trophy parade might be.
In a now-deleted post on X, the team’s account wrote: ‘See ya Friday’. It’s unconfirmed as to why the post was taken down.
Nonetheless, the Eagles got the job done on the back of a Chiefs collapse with the better side getting the result on the day.
Founded almost 20 years ago, the Cash4Clubs initiative has seen Flutter UKI, invest nearly £6.5 million into grassroots clubs.
