Football fans are urged to take their dogs along to this weekend’s championship clash between Lewes and Durham.

The Dripping Pan stadium in Lewes is a meat-free zone this January and vegan pet food brand Omni says it does not want pooches to miss out.

Omni is sponsoring the match ball for the Women’s Championship clash on Sunday, January 21, and will provide vegan treats for dogs during the game.

The brand says it is sponsoring the ball because of its commitment to protecting animals and the environment through promoting healthy and delicious vegan food.

“My own dog Bondie loves playing with footballs,” says Omni cofounder and vet Dr Guy Sandelowsky.

“He also loves the delicious, nutritionally balanced plant-based food we make at Omni.

“We’re really pleased to see Lewes FC proving once again that everyone, from footballers to fans and beyond, can thrive on a vegan diet just as we’re proving that high-energy dogs thrive on plants, too.”

Lewes FC is the world’s first gender-equal, non-profit, community-owned football club, and commercial manager Stef McLoughlin says she hopes to see more vegan fans on matchdays making “kinder and more sustainable food choices”.

Kick off at The Dripping Pan is at noon on Sunday.

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On normal matchdays around half the food options on offer are vegan. The stadium sells unique and unorthodox dishes such as seaweed on chips, creamy vegan chicken pie and vegan meatballs on chips.

Lewes FC Women are currently locked in a relegation battle halfway through the season as they sit one point above the drop zone in 11th place, only above Watford.

The Rooks will be hoping the announcement yesterday  that Aimee Claypole has joined them on loan from top flight side Chelsea for the rest of the season will give them a fighting chance.