GPS navigation specialist Garmin has become the principal sponsor of Premier League football club Middlesbrough.
Garmin designs and manufactures a range of in-car sat-nav units and electronic equipment serving the outdoor, fitness, marine and aviation sectors. The company has to date sold 19 million navigation devices worldwide.
As part of the association, Garmin will be providing Middlesbrough coaches and players with Garmin Forerunners to aid their fitness training and development. The wrist-mounted Forerunner will measure the players' heart rate, speed and the distance they cover during training, allowing the coaches to analyse each player's levels of endurance and develop training programs accordingly. Fans will be able to view players' data on-line and monitor their progress during the season.
Garmin in-car and portable satellite navigation, which has traffic avoidance and safety camera alerts, will be used by Middlesbrough FC to guide the team to away matches.
Clive Taylor, Garmin marketing director, said: “We are very excited to be sponsoring Middlesbrough FC this season both on and off the pitch. Garmin is looking to improve its brand awareness of its excellent sat-nav products and we are also dedicated to improving performance in sport and fitness with a range of purpose-designed products.
“The club was looking for a high-tech company to support them, so this partnership makes the ideal union. Fans will also benefit by being able to follow their team's training, as well as their accomplishments.”
The Garmin name will adorn the club's home and away kits. Garmin will have a strong presence at the Riverside Stadium and will also be working closely with Middlesbrough FC in community projects.
Graham Fordy, the football club's commercial head, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have clinched a prestigious sponsorship deal with Garmin. Their sponsorship will help Middlesbrough continue to compete at the very highest level of English football. In return, Garmin will get the sort of coverage only sponsorship of a Barclays Premier League club can provide. It's a great partnership both on and off the pitch that we are confident will go from strength to strength."
