Pompey will go into our new era working with Sondico, who will produce our shirts, training gear and other merchandise.
A ten grand cheque will help kick off the partnership, with that presented today.
Enough from me, this is what The Pompey Site put out today...
<I><b>Pompey Partner With Sondico</b>
Portsmouth Football Club are proud to announce their new partnership with Sondico Professional to provide the club with replica shirts, training wear and merchandise.
And the company will underline its commitment by presenting a cheque for £10,000 to the Pompey Supporters' Trust to buy community shares in the club.
The agreement provides Pompey with an outstanding commercial opportunity to offer supporters what we believe will be the cheapest replica shirts in English football.
Sondico Professional and Pompey will also join together to run a pilot scheme which may result in up to 20 new youth development centres opening throughout the south, bringing a heightened profile and community involvement across the region.
Replica home shirts will be available for pre-order from the middle of May and on general sale via the club's smart new megastore at the end of June.
Adult shirts will be on sale at £34.99, junior shirts at £24.99 and infant shirts at £19.99.
Sondico are a member of the Sports Direct Group and, as part of the deal, Pompey shirts will be available in Sports Direct stores throughout London and the south, with a wider range of Pompey merchandise available from local branches.
Pompey CEO Mark Catlin said: “We are proud to announce our new partnership with Sondico Professional.
“Throughout negotiations with us they have demonstrated that they have a real desire to engage with our team. They understand our history and what a big club this is.
“They have offered us not only an outstanding commercial deal, but a genuine desire to work with Portsmouth in the community.
“It's a fantastic start to the deal to say, hand on heart, that we believe we have the cheapest shirts in English football and hope to see as many kids as possible in the south-east wearing them.
“The deal helps us to recognise our huge and geographically-spread supporter base by taking Pompey back out to the whole regional community of supporters.”
Pompey engagement manager Micah Hall said: “We hope fans will love the new kits when they are released. We have worked to incorporate some clever touches which recognise our history and the new era for Portsmouth Football Club.
“Sondico Professional will also work with local suppliers wherever possible to ensure our merchandise has some really local flavour to it, as opposed to being just another generic club shop.
“Their work on the 'In Pompey We Trust' t-shirt campaign has convinced us that we have made the right choice from an incredibly competitive field.”
Sondico Professional spokesman Neil Burke said: “It gives us great pleasure to work with Portsmouth FC at such an exciting time in the club's history.
“To be part of the hugely successful t-shirt fundraiser showed us just how dedicated the fans are and they should be rightly proud at the cheque presentation event.
“The club's commitment to the community goes hand in hand with Sondico Professional's company ethos. We look forward to working with the new development centres, actively promoting youth development through sport.”
One beneficiary of the deal will be Nelson, who will receive all three new replica kits.
Pompey's mascot said: “I am really looking forward to getting my new kits. The old ones are rather worn out now and I am looking forward to attending away games again – looking as smart as our wonderful players.”
Sondico Professional will be presenting the cheque to Pompey Supporters' Trust on the Fratton Park pitch at 1pm and the agreement will be toasted with champagne –provided for free courtesy of local Pompey supporters at Gusto Wines of Chichester.
Supporters are welcome to come and watch the presentation.</I>
Another positive piece of news with another step forward being made, and finally we can start making some money from our merchandising sales as opposed to the crappy pence that used to be made from Kappa – who, to be fair, were not the instigators of that deal. I believe they were approached with a 'mortgaged' proposal, which they clearly would accept.
Onwards and upwards eh...
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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