BARRY Town FC are all set to announce a major three year sponsorship deal with "a major household name", The GEM can reveal.
The club were cautious about giving away too much information at this stage, but are expected to reveal all within the next seven days.
News of the sponsorship deal could not have come at a better time, following strong indications that the Vale Council, the current sponsors will not be renewing their sponsorship of the club.
The Vale Council have been club sponsors for the past three years, worth �15,000 a year to the club.
"We understand that the council will come under sever financial pressure next year," said the club's general manager, Chris Aust, adding: "The club has been very happy with the sponsorship deal with the Vale Council. It was a fantastic opportunity which helped us maximise our potential. Nobody can deny that the have helped put Barry on the map."
"But we are bitterly disappointed at the way this news has been announced as it has not been formally discussed and it is damaging to the club." The club is also concerned that the highly acclaimed football in the community scheme, whereby club players go out into the schools Barry to coach football, is in danger of being axed.
"To put the Football in the Community scheme in jeopardy would be a tragedy," said Mr Chris Aust, "it has been a massive success and we will fight any cut all the way.
"I challenge anybody to fins any one child, parent or headteacher who does not hold the scheme in the highest regard."
No decision on the funding of the Football in the Community scheme will be made until next year when a council report on the scheme will be presented to the leisure services committee. The club have recently signed up to the Government's additional reading programme, with the players helping youngsters to improve their reading skills.
Club officials are also disputing that they owe the Vale Council �86,000 for work carried out on the ground and, after what Mr Aust described as "meeting after meeting after meeting" the club has called on the district auditor to look into the matter.
"We don't dispute that we owe the Council money, what we do dispute is the amount. We have bent over backwards on this and we are so confident that we are in the right that we have called in the district auditor.
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Barry Town homepage
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Barry Gem Sport report 17.12
Barry and District News match report 17.12 - Carmarthen Town v Barry Town
Barry and District News match report 17.12 - Barry Town v Caernarfon Town
Barry Town December News
This page edited by the Yellow Dragon, 1998.
This report first published in the Barry Gem, 17.12.1998
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