BUSINESSES are being offered the chance to support their town’s football club by taking part in an unusual sponsorship opportunity.

Darlington Football Club will today launch its Business Backing Darlington Club, which gives companies a range of hospitality benefits and the chance to be the next shirt sponsor.

The Quakers have started their search to find a replacement to shirt sponsor Darlington Building Society with the exclusive club.

All members who pay £5,000 to join will receive:

● Perimeter advertising space at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena;

● One full match sponsorship, including full-page programme advert;

● Company logo in every match programme;

● A table of ten at February’s sporting dinner.

The guest speaker at the dinner will make the draw to find out which member’s logo will adorn next season’s shirts.

Darlington Building Society, which has sponsored the club shirt since the 1997-8 season, is in the final year of its deal with the Quakers.

The club’s new chairman, Raj Singh, said the Quakers needed the support not only of its fans, but the town’s business community.

He said: “This is something we have never offered before and we believe it opens the availability of the shirt sponsorship to all ranges of businesses.

“Our deal with Darlington Building Society expires at the end of the season, and we are grateful to the society for its support over the years.

“But this offers us a new direction and we believe this is a unique chance most companies cannot afford to miss.

“A shirt sponsorship deal is a brilliant way to increase brand awareness, but it is probably something a lot of firms look at and think it is out of their reach.

“This will be within a lot of companies’ budgets and, at the end of the day, one lucky company will end up on the front of our shirt, so from a business point of view it is a no-brainer.

“The best thing is that every firm will get a great deal to show in return for their investment, and 100 per cent of the revenue earned from this goes back into supporting the club, so it is an ideal way for our corporate and business fans to support Darlington FC.”

Manager Steve Staunton said: “I am no business expert by any means, but it seems like a great opportunity for a lot of firms to take advantage of something they would never normally be able to, while supporting their club at the same time.

“I think it is a fantastic initiative and something I am sure a lot of firms in Darlington and surrounding areas will be interested in.”

Interested companies or individual business people can call Phil Preston on 01325- 387000, or email phil.preston@darlington-fc.net