The Bath Chronicle has won the race to sponsor the city's ambitious football club.

The paper's name was drawn from a hat at a dinner to launch a new drive to net business sponsorship for non-league Bath City.

The Chronicle was one of scores of firms that paid for the chance to be entered into the draw - the winner becoming next season's shirt sponsor.

It is the second time the Chronicle has sponsored the Dr Martens League side - having also been the sponsor between 1999 and 2001.

Its sponsorship comes as City step up their efforts to enter the new Conference set-up.

Earlier this year, the Chronicle joined fans in launching a successful £250,000 fund-raising campaign to buy control of the club's destiny from its majority shareholder, a local businessman.

Chronicle sports editor Tony Harrison told supporters at the dinner: "The committee here have done a magnificent job over the last 24 months and I can assure you that we will continue to back you fully - let's get Bath City back on the road and back in the Conference and knocking on the door of the football league as soon as we can."

Meanwhile, the paper has also been leading the way in revealing developments off the field at the city's best-known sporting side, Bath Rugby.

The Chronicle's rugby writer Mike Tremlett was the first to reveal details of the proposed takeover deal between local millionaire Malcolm Pearce and existing owner Andrew Brownsword. And then the paper was the first to explain why - a few days later - that deal collapsed.

The Chronicle's coverage came at a time when it also carried posters backing the relegation-threatened club.

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