Roy Keane and Micah Richards have stepped back in time for Sky Bet's new "Game's Back" campaign, embracing the sport's early days by dressing as traditional Victorian gentlemen. The popular Sky Sports pundits donned period costumes to revisit football's roots ahead of the new Premier League season, showcasing their keepy-uppy skills with a traditional pigskin ball from the terraces.
The campaign, launching August 7, plays on the familiar phrase "the game's gone," often used by supporters to nostalgically reflect on how football has changed. Sky Bet aims to illustrate that debates surrounding the sport's evolution are not new, with discussions about the game's changes existing since its earliest eras.
In one segment, Richards playfully shushes Keane, poking fun at the latter's well-known skepticism regarding modern football developments. The campaign sees the duo journey through different historical periods of the sport to underscore that conversations about change have been a constant.
"One thing about football history is that people have always questioned changes to the game, but it's funny looking back at some of the things we'd never want to lose now," Keane said. "We had good fun bringing those moments to life."
Richards added, "Football fans love a debate and that's never going to change."
Harry Phillips, Sky Bet Marketing Director, stated, "'Game's Gone' is a phrase that has engrained itself in football culture and beyond. Yet even though we all love to moan about the game, it's never been more universally popular and when push comes to shove, it's the incredible moments of football culture, both on and off the pitch that keeps us coming back. We believe football always has and always will create moments no fan can resist. And at Sky Bet, we champion those iconic moments of football and fandom by giving our customers more ways to get in on the action."
The new Premier League season is scheduled to commence on Friday, August 21, with reigning champions Arsenal hosting newly-promoted Coventry City.