Hartlepool United acting executive director Martin Jesper gives the latest on the club's kit and sponsorship deals

Hartlepool United's 2019-20 home kit was announced this time last year. No official update has been given on the 2020-21 kits.

This time last year, Pools were about to announce the launch of its new home kit for the 2019-20 campaign – going into the 2020-21 campaign nothing has been sorted so far.

The club could be forgiven for focusing its priorities elsewhere, but Jesper insists that things are in hand with kit sales and sponsorship deals providing a crucial revenue stream for clubs.

“In regards to the kit situation, I’m in discussions and it’s down to the final details so it shouldn’t be too long before we can move forward with that,” he told The Mail.

“We’ve obviously got a few things to sort out but the kit is agreed in principle for the season and the sponsorship issue is a part of that but we’ve been given assurance that there will be time for us to get kits in.

“We’re all been driven by the start date, we’d like to think we could announce something soon but at the moment there is no staff in so this makes things very difficult.

“I couldn’t commit to a date but I’m in contact with kit suppliers most days so it’s close to being finalised.”

Hartlepool will also need to find a front of shirt sponsor to go on the new kits when they are launched.

The club’s three-year deal worth £80,000 a season with Tees-based energy consultancy Utility Alliance ended this summer.

But the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the return of football and how social distancing measures will be enforced in stadiums is delaying any new sponsorship agreements being put in place.

“Sorting sponsorship is on the list of things to do,” Jesper added.

“But hospitality and sponsorship is dependent on what we can offer to whom and when we can offer it. We’ve got some ideas about packages which would broadly follow the same as last season.

“At the same time, we’re unable to be able to sell a package to anybody because we’re not able to commit to certain things being met such as whether advertising boards will be seen or whether boxes can be used, etcetera.”