Subway to be Caley Thistle Shirt Sponsor
Scottish Premiership League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC have signed a deal by which the internationally-known SUBWAY® sandwich chain becomes their main sponsor for the 2014-15 season and beyond.
SUBWAY® stores have committed a six-figure sum to help manager John Hughes in his plans for the new campaign.
Caley Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron said: ”We’re delighted to sign a one-year rolling contract with such a prestigious sponsor.
“We’ve worked with the SUBWAY® brand at community department level for the past couple of years and built up a relationship which has encouraged them to take this much bigger step and be our shirt sponsor.
“The new shirt design, bearing the SUBWAY® logo, has been approved and will shortly go into production.
“We know that Liam Dalgarno of SUBWAY® stores takes his son to Caley Thistle matches, so he’s a genuine supporter, which is ideal for a principal sponsor, and has excellent ideas for interaction with our supporters.
“Our community coaches are halfway through taking the clubs Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® Healthy Heart project to all the 180 primary schools in the Highlands. This offers us the ideal launch pad for this new sponsorship partnership.”
The SUBWAY® brand has been working with Heart Research UK for the last five years, encouraging people to eat healthier and lead an active lifestyle. The SUBWAY® brand is also the only retailer on the high street to be able to sign up to UK Government Department of Health’s seven nutritional related pledges, encouraging people to eat and live in a healthier manner.
Liam Dalgarno, a former pupil of Hilton Primary School and Inverness Royal Academy, owns the three SUBWAY® franchises in Inverness plus one each in Aviemore and Elgin.
Liam is also the Development Agent for SUBWAY® stores in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, finding, recruiting and supporting franchisees and locations in that area.
Mr Dalgarno said: ”I’m extremely pleased that the SUBWAY® brand in Scotland has agreed to become the new shirt sponsor for Caley Thistle. This is a great club with considerable TV and media exposure and I hope this can be an excellent opportunity for both Caley Thistle and SUBWAY® stores in Scotland.
“I first met Kenny Cameron a few years ago when I took my wee boy to the stadium to buy a Caley Thistle strip and it is thus, as you can imagine, very satisfying to now be involved in this main sponsor arrangement.
“We’ve been impressed by the efficient way the club’s community department has been delivering the Heart Research UK andSUBWAY® Healthy Heart campaign, which involves activities, heart rate monitoring and education of pupils on how to keep healthy, exercise and eat properly.
“As main sponsor, we intend to pursue close engagement with the fans, including a series of competitions and offers.”
The SUBWAY® brand also supports the youth development programme at Luton Town FC and has signed a deal with Liverpool FC, becoming their Official Training Food Partner.
SUBWAY® stores offers a whole range of great tasting, healthier food choices while making a priority of reducing the business’s environmental footprint and encourage people in the local communities they serve to lead an active lifestyle.
Caley Thistle manager John Hughes and club captain Richie Foran expressed pleasure at the SUBWAY® brand joining the team.
“They’re a name everyone knows”, said Foran, ”and it’s good to be associated with a sponsor which puts an emphasis on promoting healthier and more active lifestyles – just as we do at Caley Jags.”