Major sponsorship agreement for Oxford City Football Club

The continued growth of Oxford City Football Club has taken another massive leap forward with the completion of a major sponsorship agreement with one of Oxfordshire's leading building firms, South Midland Contracting.

The Culham based company are to become City's main club sponsors in a five figure deal that has the potential to grow significantly in the longer term, based on performance related criteria.

Having experienced tremendous growth in the last ten years SMC has a turnover well in excess of £7m, with main clients such as Oxford City Council, local NHS Trusts and several Oxford colleges. The company has also recently secured major contracts with two large insurance loss adjusters requiring a further 20% staff recruitment drive. SMC have a reputation for dedication to the training and development of staff, evidenced by the 11 traditional four-year apprentices currently in place and several board directors having been promoted from the management ranks.

Oxford City Managing Director, Colin Taylor said: ''We are delighted to have reached agreement with a progressive company such as SMC and very much appreciate the positive support from their directors. This is clearly a major opportunity for the club and following on from our recently announced educational partnership with Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, is wholly in line with the strategic growth plans of Oxford City. We are looking forward to working closely with SMC who like ourselves fully recognise the importance of people development and how it raises the internal standards that are so essential for success in business - and in sport. In recent years we have strongly grown our community base with numerous Oxford City Colts, Oxford City Girls and Ladies teams and I know this was important to the SMC directors. We are on target to achieve the FA Charter Standard Community Club award early in 2006, which will be another key milestone for the future development of the club.''

SMC Chairman, Darren Field added: ''We believe in putting something back into the community and a local ambitious and innovative club like Oxford City are the perfect partners to work with in order to achieve that objective.''

City Chairman, Brian Cox said: ''This is excellent news and is a great example of a successful business working together with a respected football club at the heart of the local community. This will help our Development College structure and our associated club, Oxford Quarry Nomads will also benefit from this agreement.''

City are currently having a great season in the Spartan South Midland League with manager Andy Lyne's team holding second position, four points behind the leaders but with three games in hand. The club have applied for promotion and look set for a return to the Southern League next season.

December 2005