Award-winning ferry operator DFDS was unveiled yesterday as the 2017-18 away kit sponsor for North Shields Football Club.
The new kit, which features the iconic DFDS logo as part of a year-long sponsorship deal with the company, was unveiled at the club’s away match against Washington last night. North Shields FC play in the fifth tier of English non-league football and finished third in EBAC Northern League Division 1 last season. They also made the final of the Northumberland Senior Cup, beating Newcastle United U23’s on the way, and appeared in the League Cup final.
The side have made a cracking start to the season and were voted official EBAC Northern League Team of the Week after securing a draw against Shildon, who are hotly tipped to be title challengers this year, and a 5-0 drubbing of Bishop Auckland on Saturday.
DFDS runs daily overnight sailings from Newcastle to Amsterdam. The company has provided ferry services from the North East for more than 20 years and employs more than 80 people in its North Shields office. It carried more than 580,000 passengers and 121,000 cars on the route in 2016, bringing thousands of visitors to the North East region from Holland, Germany and further afield.
Alan Matthews, North Shields FC Chairman, said: “North Shields and DFDS are the gateway from the Continent to the North of England and this sponsorship deal will help cement our already close ties with the company. The sponsorship deal we’ve announced today is just one example of the work we’re doing to develop the club by building even closer relationships with sponsors to support our growth.
“It’s a really exciting time, with a great core group of players retained from last year and some quality new signings joining the team. With the continuing development of the ground and the opening of the new clubhouse last season we’re focusing on building stronger links with local businesses and getting more involved with local schools and clubs to encourage younger fans through our turnstiles. We’ve had a great start to the season and feel we’ve built a strong platform from which to mount a serious challenge in the league and cup competitions this year.”
Catherine Jowett, Brand Marketing Manager at DFDS, said: “We’re delighted to have signed a new sponsorship deal with North Shields FC and to be featured on the team’s away kit. We recognise the importance of showing our support for our local community and it’s great to be involved with a club that has such a long and proud history. Every year we carry thousands of fans from Holland and Germany who come over to see our regional premier league clubs, so we know football is an important part of our customers’ lives and we’re delighted to be able to sponsor our home-town team. We hope our partnership will help make a real difference to the club’s future development.”
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About DFDS
DFDS is Northern Europe’s largest integrated shipping and logistics company, with a network of around 30 routes and 50 freight and passenger ships.
DFDS prides itself on offering world-class facilities and services and the widest choice of ferry routes into northern Europe.
In the UK, the company operates passenger ferry services on routes from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk, Newcastle to Amsterdam and Newhaven to Dieppe.
DFDS has been named the ‘World’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for the last five years (2011-15), as well as ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator’ at the prestigious 2014 and 2015 World Travel Awards.
DFDS currently operates up to 54 sailings a day between Dover and France on its Dover-Dunkirk and Dover-Calais routes. DFDS also offers two daily sailings between Newcastle and Amsterdam. In addition, the DFDS network includes a passenger and freight service between Newhaven to Dieppe, which has four daily sailings and is operated by Transmanche Ferries.
For further information about DFDS, or to find out about the latest sailing times, fares and offers across all routes from the UK, visit www.dfds.co.uk.
