Carlisle United have confirmed the identity of their new shirt sponsor for next season – with Cumbrian firm Thomas Graham to appear on the front of the Blues’ kit.
They will replace Edinburgh Woollen Mill as United’s main shirt sponsor in a deal struck for the 2021/22 campaign.
The move comes after the fall into administration of EWM’s retail business and ends their four-year tenure as United’s shirt sponsors.
And it marks a further move away from the Blues’ recent relationship with EWM, who have been central to United’s financial direction since 2017.
Thomas Graham have been long-standing backers of the Blues and their managing director Roger Smith is a United vice-president.
He said he was pleased his firm had been invited to step in as the new sponsors.
Smith said: “We are delighted to be able to help out at short notice and it is a dream come true for us.
“We have always tried to be involved and support the community as much as we can.
“We are excited to have the Thomas Graham name and logo on the shirts next season and we wish Chris [Beech] and his players a successful finish to the current campaign.”
The steel and industrial supplies firm, which was first established in Carlisle in 1892, secured a deal to sponsor United’s shirt after just a few days of talks, the Blues said.
The Cumbrians said they had always been keen to explore options with local firms regarding the sponsorship opportunity.
The deal comes just weeks after chief executive Nigel Clibbens said he anticipated “plenty” of interest in the chance to be on United’s kit, once the EWM situation emerged.
Designs for the 2021/22 kit are understood to be in the pipeline but are unlikely to be made public until after the end of the current campaign.
The Blues have also revealed they have secured a new two-year deal with kit suppliers Errea which will run until 2023.
Director of football David Holdsworth said that, having secured that deal, “we were obviously keen to finalise the shirt sponsorship deal, and I immediately thought of Roger and Thomas Graham.
“Roger is Carlisle United through and through, and it made sense to me to open discussions to see if we there were avenues we could explore with such a prominent local business.
“As soon as I mentioned it to Roger, I could see that he was very intrigued and excited by the idea.
“We are demonstrating just how important it is to think locally and to work as a community, wherever and whenever we can.”
Holdsworth, who is close to EWM supremo Philip Day, added: “I’d also like to go on record with a thank you to EWM for their sponsorship of our shirts over the course of the past four seasons.
“Having spoken to them, I know they’re delighted that we’ve been able to marry up with a strong, recognisable brand in Thomas Graham, and they have passed on their best wishes to Roger and his team and to Carlisle United for the 2021/22 campaign.”
United's relationship with EWM has seen the Blues borrow £2.1m from the firm since 2017. That loan facility, though, is no longer available to the Blues, with the debt now owed to a different company, Purepay Retail Limited, one of whose directors, EWM's John Jackson, remains a CUFC Holdings director.
Blues chairman Andrew Jenkins added that he was happy that a “well-known and successful local company” would be United’s new shirt sponsors.
He said Thomas Graham had often helped United with steel and materials for groundworks and repairs over the years, and described Smith as “a strong friend of the club and a huge supporter.”
The financial value of the new sponsorship deal has not been revealed.
But United said it was "a great deal for both parties".
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