Hearts announce sponsorship deal

HEARTS today announced a six-figure sponsorship deal with Vladimir Romanov's bank Ukio as the Lithuanian influence at Tynecastle was driven to a new dimension.

The club's shirt for next season, manufactured by Danish firm hummel, will now bear the name Ukio Bankas as its main sponsor after both parties reached agreement.

Hearts have the option of extending their relationship with Ukio into a "multi-year" deal should the initial partnership prove to be a success, and Tynecastle chief executive Phil Anderton is delighted to have tied up the Edinburgh club with one of Romanov's firms.

He said: "The dramatic season that we have just witnessed at Hearts brought about the most significant changes in history of this great football club. Six months ago, the bulldozers were on their way to Tynecastle, the club was heading to Murrayfield, something the supporters were united against, and our financial position gave great cause for concern.

"Since then, Mr Romanov completed the deal to take a 29.9 per cent stake in the club and with his support we cancelled the sale of Tynecastle, secured the future of the club at its spiritual home and have begun establishing our strategic plan for long term success, and this excellent deal is part of that."

Anderton was mindful that a swift negotiation with Ukio was essential give the restrictive timescale he and the Hearts board faced as they also attempt to try and recruit a new manager, coaching staff and a director of football at Romanov's request. "We found ourselves in a difficult position when you consider that to make the most out of such an agreement you need many months to negotiate," he admitted.

"This agreement allows us to move forward and ensure that we maximise the potential of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club brand in the future, through a series of official partners."

The new home kit completed, Hearts fans can now pre-order next season's strip, which will be available from the club superstore at Tynecastle from 9.30am on Tuesday, July 19. The club have also distributed almost 30,000 flyers around Edinburgh as Anderton seeks to maximise the commercial potential by selling as many new shirts as possible

Taken from the Scotsman