Partners backing hospital campaign

After unveiling the Spiceball Leisure Centre as the sponsors of their first team’s new pre-match kit, the new partners showed their support for the Hands off the Horton Hospital campaign before kicking off against Dorchester Town on Saturday at the Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium.

The Puritans are pictured wearing “Hands off the Horton” t-shirts for their pre-match warm up before the EVO-STIK League Southern top flight clash and a spokesman said: “The club knows how important having a “proper” hospital is to our local community. All of the proposed reductions in services will affect someone in our community in one way or another – either directly or a family member or a friend or a colleague.

“As a football club we are only too grateful to the A&E department who have looked after players injured in games at the ground over the years. Can you imagine having to travel to Oxford with a serious injury if we lose the A&E department? We know that our colleagues at other sporting clubs in and around the town share our concern.”

Part of Parkwood Leisure Group, the Spiceball Leisure Centre is a well-known Banbury institution accommodating thousands of people per week for leisure, health and social activities. The sponsorship deal will see the Spiceball logo appear on the back of the club's pre-match warm-up tops, on pitchside advertising and in their matchday programme.

United’s commercial director Mark Allitt was delighted to seal the agreement with Spiceball and team up with their newest sponsors to back the hospital campaign.

Pictured alongside Spiceball’s sales & marketing manager Claire Maloney, he said: “Anyone who has spent time in and around Banbury has heard of Spiceball and I’m very pleased that Graham Bleach and his team have decided to support us. Spiceball and Banbury United working together is a fantastic partnership and one which makes obvious sense with both parties being involved in the sporting and leisure sector.

“This is such a worthy cause and it is vital services are maintained at current levels. As a community club and an organisation that relies on having quality medical care on hand locally, it’s important that we show our whole-hearted support."

Spiceball centre manager Graham Bleach was also delighted to be supporting the town’s community football club.

“We’re thrilled to be able to sponsor Banbury United for the forthcoming season," said Bleach. "Banbury United and Spiceball have a proud history in the town and now the club is community owned we saw this an ideal time to get involved. We wish them every success as they look to establish themselves back in the Southern League Premier Division."

Backing the hospital campaign, he added: “We’re more than happy to waive our sponsorship agreement so that ourselves and Banbury United can help to promote and support the services at the Horton Hospital.”