MORECAMBE Football Club has today revealed that its superb new £12 million stadium development will be called the "Globe Arena".

The announcement comes after the club secured a five-year sponsorship deal with Globe Construction, the company responsible for building the new venue in the Westgate area of the town.

The Globe Arena will comprise a 6,000 capacity stadium, a full-size state-of-the-art, FA standard artificial training pitch as well as other community facilities for five-a-side, netball and hockey.

The Globe Arena will include luxury function, banqueting and conference facilities in addition to a community building with high quality changing facilities and a fully-equipped gymnasium.

The Globe Arena (www.globearena.co.uk) will be ready for the start of the 2010/11 season in addition to hosting pre-season friendlies.

Globe Construction* is a north-west based company with a string of successful major commercial, retail, industrial and leisure developments to its name, including a Construction Management role at the Lowry Galleria at Salford Quays as well as others in Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. The company is currently expanding into Cumbria.

Morecambe Football Club Chairman, Peter McGuigan, said: "We are delighted to announce that our new development will be named the 'Globe Arena'. It is a historic day for both Morecambe Football Club and Globe Construction and the beginning of what we believe will be a very successful partnership between us.

"The new development, when completed, will offer not only a fantastic stadium worthy of our status as a Football League club but also act as a high-quality sporting and social venue for the local community.

"Additionally we hope to attract the business community from both a local and national base to our outstanding conference facilities. We are an ambitious football club and the opening of the 'Globe Arena' in July this year will give us the financial stability necessary to ensure the long-term well-being of Morecambe Football Club.

"We also acknowledge the ambitions of Globe Construction and together we look forward to a very successful future."

Globe's design director, Kevin Hargreaves, said: "We are delighted to have formed such a close working relationship with Morecambe FC and this five-year sponsorship deal is proof of our wish to be aligned with the club and its aspirations and ethos for the long term.

"We see the club's success tied to our own, and its relationship with its supporters mirrors our own with our staff, which are at the heart of both organisations.

"The use of our name on the arena is also a very important business decision for Globe, to raise our profile in combination with our plan to open an office in the South Lakes and expand on our success in the region.

"We hope our commitment to the club radiates to the wider community as the Globe Arena becomes not only a fantastic new home for the Shrimps but also a significant and high-quality sporting and social venue for local people."

*Globe Construction Background:

Globe was established in 1994 as a construction management company working on major projects, largely for Sainsbury's retail stores and for the Highways Agency.

Since 2001 the company has been owned and operated by its three directors: Kevin Hargreaves, David Billington and Ian Threadgold.

Globe has worked throughout the north-west in all major sectors producing commercial, industrial, education, residential, retail, leisure and health developments.

Having already produced a number of schemes throughout the region, including in Kendal and Lancaster, plus now working in Morecambe, Globe is expanding its influence in the area and opening a base in the South Lakes.

For more information visit www.globemsl.co.uk

Brief stadium background:

The Globe Arena will be League Two club, Morecambe FC's home from the start of the 2010/11 pre-season.

Morecambe currently play at Christie Park, their home since 1921, which has been sold to Sainsbury's for a major new store.

As well as giving Morecambe FC and its fans a superb new stadium fit for the modern era, The Globe Arena gives the club scope to develop its income streams through functions, conferences and community sports pitch hire for the full year.

For full details, progress updates and site plans visit www.globearena.co.uk