Premier League kicks of the celebrations

The Premier League is 30 years old and, this month, is marking that milestone with a campaign that thanks football fans while also highlighting how three decades of Premier League football have helped provide financial support throughout the game.

The 90-second advert, called More Than 90 Minutes, was created by Greg Harvey and Mike MacKenzie at FCB Inferno and directed by Ben Brand through Great Guns and features a young girl examining the impact the Premiere League has had on football in the preceding 30 years, while also looking to the future.

The spot includes cameos from former Premier League stars Michael Owen, Jamie Redknapp, Micah Richards and Teddy Sheringham, while Countdown star and Manchester United supporter Rachel Riley, who has helped create Premier League Primary Stars maths resources, also appears.

“Three decades of the Premier League is incredible when you think about it," said Redknapp, who played in the Premier League’s inaugural 1992/93 season and went on to make 295 appearances. “The Premier League has done such a great job for football. It has changed everything. It’s given players and managers a real platform to be superstars. Using that success to invest in the game at all levels, right from grassroots football, and communities means more people than ever can enjoy the game.”

West Ham United captain and England star midfielder Declan Rice also makes an appearance at a Premier League Kicks session alongside club Foundation coach Najma Shariffu. PL Kicks has provided more than 900,000 hours of free weekly football and multi-sport sessions at 936 venues across England and Wales. In the last 15 years, more than 440,000 young people have taken part. “I have loved football and the Premier League since I was a child," said Rice. "I feel very privileged to play the game professionally alongside and against some of the best players in the world. As a youngster, I attended Premier League Kicks sessions myself so I know how important the programme is. Football clubs and their staff deliver a huge amount of amazing work in their local areas. I’ve seen this myself at West Ham United, and all clubs have a big role to play in their communities.”

“As our young hero says, ‘The game is just the start’," add FCB Inferno's MacKenzie and Harvey. "The campaign is a celebration of 30 years of the Premier League, but it's not all about football. We're looking at the incredible impact the Premier League has had on the wider community. They've got a great story to tell, and it's been a pleasure to help them tell it.”