NON-LEAGUE football club Padiham FC is searching for a main sponsor after they were let down at the last minute for the 2014/15 season.

The club believed it had a deal in place with an unnamed firm to be its shirt sponsor for this season, but it has fallen through at the last minute.

Now the club has entered a league season without a sponsor for the first time in its history, and the squad is playing in last year’s shirts until a new deal can be reached.

Club secretary Alan Smith said: “Last year we were sponsored by Fagan and Whalley and we had a great relationship with them, but they were very honest and always said it was only for 12 months, as they wanted to support other community groups.

“So we had time to look for a sponsor for this season and we thought had a deal in place, but they have pulled out at the last minute. We’ve got new kits for four teams awaiting a shirt sponsor but at the moment we are still in last year’s kit.”

Mr Smith said the club were not reliant on sponsorship to keep them afloat, but they always liked to work with local ‘partners’. “We have our normal football income,” he said, “such as sponsorship, raffles, admission prices, and then we have the money we make from our 365-days-a-year operation with the clubhouse.”

In 2013 the club, known as The Storks, were promoted to the Northern Premier League after winning the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.

Mr Smith said: “Promotion meant we had to spent £40,000 on ground improvements.”

Anybody who is interested in discussing sponsorship with the club should call Mr Smith or 07775 717698 or you can go to alansmithpadihamfc@yahoo.co.uk.