Colchester United have announced that they will be celebrating their 75th anniversary next year by involving local businesses in sponsoring their iconic blue and white-striped home shirts.

Among their anniversary plans, the club will be offering front of shirt sponsorship on a game-by-game basis, to allow as many businesses as possible to acknowledge the U’s special year.

New home shirt designs are due to be revealed soon and, from £5,000, companies will have the chance to have their logo on the front.

General Manager Tim Waddington said: “Ever since the club was first formed in 1937, we have been supported by local businesses along the way.

“Many of those businesses have been in existence as long as, if not longer than, the football club but, right the way through those 75 years, local businesses have stood shoulder to shoulder with Colchester United and given us invaluable backing.

“We are hugely proud to be from Colchester and we know that many of the businesses around us carry the town’s name with just as much pride.

“This innovative idea was originally put forward by chairman Robbie Cowling a while ago and we’ve been working on putting it together since then.

“By taking this very different approach to shirt sponsorship for next season, we are saying thank you to those businesses and hope that companies of all sizes will get on board with this very affordable package, for what will be a very memorable season.”

Supporters, meanwhile, will be able to buy a special commemorative replica kit without a sponsors’ logo, harking back to the club’s history prior to shirt sponsorship.

For further details, companies should contact the U’s commercial department on 01206 752020 or e-mail commercial@colchesterunited.net See the Gazette on Monday for more on this story and all the reaction from the U’s final home game of the season against Tranmere Rovers.