The University of Northampton has announced that it will be renewing its three-year sponsorship deal with English club Northampton Town.
As part of the reported UK£300,000 (US$430,000) deal, the university will continue as the club’s primary shirt sponsor. The university will also be using Sixfields, Northampton’s home ground, for several events, including hosting its varsity tournament in 2017.
Three months ago Northampton Town stood on the brink of administration, as a result of a UK£166,000 (US$238,000) unpaid tax bill. Since current owner Kelvin Thomas saved the club, the side have paid off the taxman, returned from the financial brink and now sit at the top of League Two.
A relieved Thomas, said, “When we took over we knew there were some issues, there was some repair work that needed doing. But today marks a move forward and a really strong expansion to our partnership.”
Thomas’ apprehension was perhaps misguided, when a vice chancellor of the university, Nick Petford, claimed, “We always said we would stand by no matter what happened.”
Both Petford and Thomas have stressed they want to increase the ties between club and university over the next three years, with the club set to offer more graduate opportunities.
