PARTICK THISTLE have clinched a six-figure sponsorship deal with a California-based investment company ahead of the new Premiership campaign.

Kingsford Capital Management will have their logo on Thistle’s kits for the next two seasons and will have branding at Firhill after businessman Mike Wilkins pledged his support to the club.

Wilkins, a shareholder in NBA side Golden State Warriors, became interested in Thistle after a meeting with artist David Shrigley, a lifelong Jags fan, at a dinner in San Francisco.

The American decided to support the club financially and has now clinched a deal that will see a Shrigley design on the Jags’ kit and a new mascot – Kingsley – launched for the new season.

Wilkins said: “I had been looking for an opportunity to get involved with something like this in the UK for a while but hadn’t been able to find the right match.

“When I got talking to David Shrigley about Partick Thistle it seemed like it could be the perfect fit. The next step for me was to speak directly to the club.

“I must say that every conversation I had with the club, from start to finish, went really well and certainly built the impression that this was an organisation I very much wanted to be involved with.

“The perspective of the board, relating to business, sport and community, is really encouraging and I look forward to my interactions with the club and its fans.

“I hope that this relationship will become more than just your average sponsorship deal. As a commissioner of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, I understand the power of art to communicate a shared spirit.

“It is very much like sport in that regard and, with David’s help and genius, I hope we can bring something unique and new to an already fantastic club.”

The Kingsford deal replaces the arrangement Thistle had in place with macb and represents a significant financial increase for the club.

And Shrigley is delighted he has been able to play his part in bringing the investment across the pond and back to Firhill.

He said: “As a Jags man it’s an honour to be involved with the club in this way. I can’t wait to see my design on the front of the shirts and around Firhill and just hope the fans like what we’re trying to do. It’s safe to say we have a few surprises in store for the supporters and we’re already in talks with a few other artists to arrange some pretty exciting giveaways over the course of the season.”

The link-up with Kingsford comes as Thistle prepare for their third successive season in the top flight of Scottish football.

The Jags have made steady progress on and off the park in recent years and Managing Director Ian Maxwell is confident they can continue on an upward trajectory.

He said: “Getting a sponsor like this on board, an American financial services firm, is a real coup for us. It has been part of our long term strategy to begin attracting new sources of funding to the club and this is a fantastic way to start.

“We need to look at how to attract new people to football in Scotland, both in terms of funding and in terms of supporters, and some of the ideas that Mike and David have already brought to the table are really interesting.

“Everyone at the club is excited to start working closely with Kingsford Capital over the next two years and I for one hope that Mike really becomes a part of the club.

“Partick Thistle is much more than just a football club and I certainly hope that this partnership too will turn into much more than just a sponsorship deal in the weeks, months and years to come.”