Fulham are expected to announce a new shirt sponsor today in a deal believed to be worth more than £1 million a season.
The club will announce that Pipex, the internet service provider, is to replace Dabs.com under a two-year contract starting next season.
As well as the first team, Pipex, the fifth largest broadband supplier in the UK, will also back the academy and the women’s team and be the club’s official broadband partner.
The signing of a new sponsor follows the news that Fulham had returned to profit for the first time since Mohamed Al Fayed, the Harrods owner, bought the club from the Muddyman family in 1997.
In their third season in the Premiership, Fulham posted a pre-tax profit of £508,259 on turnover of £39.1 million, largely because of the £12.8 million sale of Louis Saha to Manchester United.
The Dabs.com deal was worth a basic £500,000 a season. In return, the e-tailer has enjoyed an enhanced profile during its two-year association with the club. Two months ago, the company’s founder appointed financial advisers to find a buyer with the reported price tag topping £90 million.
Pipex, one of the first brands to be associated with the internet, moved into the black with a pre-tax profit of £6.2 million in 2004.
Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed said: “The club is very excited about the sponsorship agreement with PIPEX, which has committed its support to Fulham for two seasons.
“I am sure that it will be a very successful combination between two ambitious organisations.
“Since I invested in this club we have risen from the second division to consistently perform against the elite that English football has to offer. It is my aim to maintain this status.”
