County Championship cricket side Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie "has risked irking club sponsors, by staying true to his vegan principles," according to the PA. Yorkshire is backed by Hawes-based Wensleydale Creamery, "but that has not stopped Gillespie going on record about his hope that one day dairy farming will cease to exist." The 41-year-old Australian "made clear he is prepared to stand by the heart-felt opinions" he has often voiced on Twitter over the past two years. Asked about "any possible conflict with the company whose logo appears on Yorkshire's shirts," he said, "Yes, they are a sponsor. But it doesn't mean I agree with what they do." He cites the use of leather cricket balls, for the past 150 years and into the foreseeable future, as another factor -- like Yorkshire's sponsorship deals -- that he "accepts he cannot control." As for Yorkshire's shirt deal, he added, "It's out of my control, just like the fact that cricket balls are made of leather. I'll have it out with people, I don't care. There's nothing wrong with standing up for what you believe in" (PA, 6/7). In London, Ben Webster reported National Farmers’ Union Deputy President Minette Batters accused Gillespie of "being inconsistent for attacking the dairy industry while being part-funded by it through his club’s sponsorship deal." She said, "It's outrageous. I imagine he’s paid a sizeable salary to coach [the Yorkshire team] and all these clubs are reliant on sponsorship. I would love to know if he’s ever actually visited a dairy farm." Wensleydale Creamery Marketing Manager Sandra Bell said that Gillespie "had never raised any objection with the company over its sponsorship." On his comment about "looking forward to the closure of the dairy industry," she said, "That’s a very bold statement and I need to understand a bit more about what he’s actually trying to say there" (LONDON TIMES, 6/7).
