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Partick Thistle mascot causes social media frenzy
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The deal is worth a six figure sum to Partick and will run for at least the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
Kingsford Capital will become the club’s new title sponsor with the deal – which Partick said represents a significant improvement on its previous agreement – including front of shirt sponsorship for both home and away strips as well as prominent branding around the Firhill Stadium.
The deal was brokered after Mike Wilkins, managing member of Kingsford Capital, became a supporter of the club after a chance meeting with one of his favourite artists, the Turner Prize nominated and long-time Partick fan, David Shrigley.
Shrigley has since designed a unique Kingsford logo which will adorn the front of Thistle’s shirts and be featured prominently around the stadium. In addition, a new Shrigley-designed mascot, named Kingsley, has been unveiled, with its appearance generating headlines worldwide.
Partick Thistle managing director Ian Maxwell said: “Getting a sponsor like this on board, an American financial services firm, is a real coup for us. It has been part of our long term strategy to begin attracting new sources of funding to the club and this is a fantastic way to start.
“We need to look at how to attract new people to football in Scotland, both in terms of funding and in terms of supporters, and some of the ideas that Mike and David have already brought to the table are really interesting.”
The unique appearance of 'Kingsley' has seen social media channels buzzing with world wide TV and internet coverage. Whether other clubs can copy Shrigley's style remains to be seen - but the Partick mascot us definitely a one-off!
JB