Budweiser signs players for Wembley FC to play in FA Cup it sponsors

• FA states Wembley FC plan nothing to do with own deal
• Ray Parlour and Martin Keown among players signed
David Seaman, Ray Parlour, Graeme Le Saux, Claudio Caniggia have been signed by Budweiser
Graeme Le Saux, David Seaman, Ray Parlour and Claudio Caniggia have been signed by Budweiser for Wembley FC, under the gaze of Terry Venables. Photograph: John Marsh/Action Images

The US lager giant Budweiser has risked a potential PR own goal by signing a string of former internationals to play for Wembley FC, the non-league side it backs, in next season's FA Cup, which it also sponsors.

The Football Association, which receives an estimated £24m from Budweiser over three years to sponsor the world's oldest knockout competition, said the US company had not broken any rules but stressed the Wembley FC stunt did not have anything to do with its own arrangement with the brand.

After earlier this season signing up Terry Venables as a technical adviser for the club, which plays in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League, it has now unveiled six former internationals who have promised to come out of retirement to play in the FA Cup.

The former England players Ray Parlour, Martin Keown and Graeme Le Saux, the Argentinian Claudio Caniggia and the American striker Brian McBride have all signed. The former Arsenal and England No1 David Seaman has also come on board as the new goalkeeping coach.

While Budweiser believes it is buying into the romance of the competition, the PR stunt has already drawn criticism from fans of other non-league clubs, who perceive it as unfair. The FA said Budweiser had not broken any rules. "It's not an FA matter. It's a separate sponsorship deal," said a spokesman.

Budweiser has pursued a similar strategy in other sports that it sponsors in the US and elsewhere.

"I've always believed grassroots football is essential to the lifeblood of the game so when I got the call asking if I would like to come out of retirement and help raise its profile I jumped at the chance," said Parlour. "I'm looking forward to working with Terry Venables again and helping a group of talented footballers achieve their dreams of playing in The FA Cup and seeing how far they can go in the tournament."

The Wembley FC manager Ian Bates defended the idea. "The initiative shines a light on non-league football reminding people of the importance of amateur football in contributing to the development of the national game," he said.

"A year ago we were playing in front of an empty grandstand and the clubhouse was falling down. Now the investment means great times are waiting for Wembley FC and we can't wait to kick off our FA Cup campaign."

The experiment will be followed by ESPN for a new fly on the wall documentary, charting the club's progress in next season's FA Cup.

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