Sponsor sees the light at Invicta

Ryman South Folkestone Invicta have unveiled a new main shirt sponsorship deal with locally-based solar energy experts M3 Solutions.

Within days of announcing that they were on a sound financial footing for the first time in years and thanking fans for their fundraising efforts, delighted officials launched the new commercial partnership before Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Tooting & Mitcham at the Fullicks Stadium.

Invicta's commercial consultant Cliff Egan said: "It’s a deal on a par with most clubs at Ryman Premier level, which is where we want to be! This is a five figure deal over two years, and it’s a very good deal for this club.

"We’re delighted to have M3 on board. It’s a deal we’ve been talking about for a couple of months and we look forward to working with Adrian [Managing Director Adrian Williams] and his colleagues over the course of the next two years."

Egan thanked businessman David Brownsword of sponsors Red Onyx for his part in bringing the two parties together and Invicta Chairman Mark Jenner for his role. He is associated with previous shirt sponsors Audio Energy and ensured the deal went through after they agreed to move their company's name and logo to the back of the club's shirts.

Egan added: "David was a corporate client of mine from my days at Stoke City but he hails from this part of Kent and still has a property down here."

M3 Solutions, based at The Glenmore Centre on Shearway Business Park, was founded by Managing Director Adrian Williams in 2004 and is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The company, which currently has 18 direct staff, has three main facets to its business: M3 Interiors, M3 Solar and M3 Construction.

M3 Interiors design and fit out offices and business premises throughout the UK. Specialising in banks and insurance companies, their clients include The Bank of England and Hastings Direct. M3 Solar are leaders in commercial solar systems and count a number of major farms and agricultural suppliers throughout the south east among their existing customers. M3 Construction – a comparatively recent branch of the company - specialise in construction projects for several national train operators.

Williams, pictured with Supporters Club stalwart John Law and manager Neil Cugley launching the new partnership, said it was the Solar arm of M3 which prompted the company's first venture into sports sponsorship.

He said: "We were put in touch by a mutual friend who suggested that Folkestone Invicta were looking for some sponsorship while we were looking to engage people’s interest locally and to get better known as far as the local market is concerned. We want to promote solar as it’s on everyone’s minds because the returns are so good – 10-14 per cent at the moment and going up with inflation year on year."

Dedicated Invicta fan Law was invited to the unveiling after becoming the new sponsors' ‘chosen one’ after they decided to offer one of the new first team shirts to the Folkestone fan who's worked hardest for the club in recent months.

Invicta's resident unpaid electrician and foreman of works – overseeing much of the close-season efforts at the Fullicks Stadium – is also the club’s ‘travel manager’, organising coaches to away games for supporters, players and club officials alike.

One fellow supporter said: “We are very fortunate to have some excellent people around the club who work hard behind the scenes without ever getting the recognition they deserve and John is one of the very best of those!”

Image courtesy of David Shackle