City have unveiled a new shirt sponsor – thanks to the T&A.

Next season’s kit will bear the name of MAP Group (UK) after the technology service provider read about the club’s frantic search to find a successor to Bradford & Bingley.

The north-east based company, who supply installation engineers across the north of England, will this week sign a cutprice £60,000 deal for one year, the T&A can exclusively reveal.

They also have first option on the following season.

City head of operations David Baldwin said: “The call came from their managing director who’d had the T&A article forwarded to him. He wasn’t in the Bradford area at the time.

“Both him and one of his fellow directors are Bradford City fans, which is fantastic. All along I’ve wanted people on that shirt who also have a vested interested in the fan side of the football club.

“Commercially, it’s a good deal anyway but to have somebody involved who already has a love for the club is perfect.”

City had to hit a manufacturing deadline last Friday to ensure a new name would be on the home and away shirts for next season.

Bradford & Bingley’s sponsorship had another year to run but they pulled the plug in December because of their financial predicament. Baldwin added: “It’s been a headache because when you’ve got a contract there for another year on the shirts, you weren’t expecting a problem like this to arise.

“We’re working to a timetable to make sure we maximise income for this club and then this came out of the blue. Everyone is on edge because of the tough time we’re in anyway and it can prove a bit of a distraction during the season-ticket campaign.

“But everything is on schedule. We gave verbal confirmation to (kit makers) Surridge at 4pm on Friday and we’ve got a seven-day window now to go to signature. The contract will be signed and payment made this week.

“It’s good that we’ve got that stability. I don’t want to be going to the chairmen and saying we need to put more money into the club.

“The bottom line is that we stand alone as a trading business in our own right and we’re able to grow with the security of income coming in, so we are self-sustainable.”

The deal coincides with the announcement of the latest season-ticket offer. Fans can buy tickets for next term for £175 before March 31.