YOUR Premier newspaper has linked up with the Premier energy company to bring Premier Blues back to the Premier Town fans!That's the great news today as Ipswich fans prepare for a promotion-chasing campaign, The Evening Star is getting ready to bring back its hugely popular Premier Blues sports brand every week next season.

By Paul Geater

YOUR Premier newspaper has linked up with the Premier energy company to bring Premier Blues back to the Premier Town fans!

That's the great news today as Ipswich fans prepare for a promotion-chasing campaign, The Evening Star is getting ready to bring back its hugely popular Premier Blues sports brand every week next season.

And we've linked up with one of the biggest names in energy to bring you the best coverage of your favourite football club every Monday.

Ipswich-based TXU Energi, the main sponsors at Portman Road, have signed a sponsorship deal to bring our readers massive coverage of the Blues.

It's a deal which unites three giants of the town – the football club, TXU, and the Star – to provide a top-quality service that no Town fan will want to miss.

The deal to bring back Premier Blues is the icing on the cake of a great week for this newspaper, coming just days after it was named Best Evening Newspaper in Britain at the Regional Press Awards 2002.

Mike Thompson of TXU Energi said his company had been very keen to link up with the Star because of the newspaper's community focus.

"We are very keen to work with a company that is as committed to the local community as we are.

"We have 1,000 employees in the Ipswich area and many of them read the Star and are, of course, Town fans – so from our point of view it is the idea link-up," Mr Thompson said.

"TXU Energi has customers across the UK and we are keen to get our brand recognised across the country.

"But our base is here in Ipswich in the local community – we are proud to sponsor Ipswich Town and delighted to link up with the Premier Blues for next season," he said.

Evening Star editor Nigel Pickover was delighted by the new deal – and keen to emphasise that the brand of the football coverage would stay the same.

"It's still Premier Blues," he said. "We'll be giving premier coverage of the club during a season we are all convinced will end with promotion back to the Premiership."

"We're delighted to link up with TXU. Three of the cornerstones of the area, the Star, TXU and Ipswich Town, are linking up to give fans the best possible coverage of the football club.

"We are proud of our community links, links that were recognised when we won the Evening Newspaper of the Year award.

"And we are very pleased that TXU recognises our role in the community and wants to join up with us for next season."

The deal was signed at Portman Road, where final preparations are underway for the big kick-off.

Town's first home match is just over five weeks away, on Sunday August 18 against Leicester City who were also relegated from the Premiership in May.

TXU became Ipswich Town's major sponsor last summer, and sees football sponsorship as a way of bringing its name to the widest possible audience.

Now with its sponsorship of Premier Blues, TXU's links with Ipswich Town and its fans are stronger than ever.