Prost International sponsors Carlisle City manager James Nicholls

Prost International is now the official sponsor of James Nicholls, manager of Northern League side Carlisle City.

The sponsorship was announced on the clubs social media on Monday.

Nicholls is a native Cumbrian whose full time job is as deputy head at an inner city Carlisle school.

Carlisle City play in Division 2 of the Ebac Northern League and were in the running for promotion in the 2019/20 season until the Coronavirus called the season short.

It was Nicholl’s first season in charge of the Cumbrian club and indeed City’s first in that league having been switched from the NW Counties League.

The FA decided not to promote or relegate anyone, so the opposition and the league will have a little more familiarity for the Gillford Park outfit this season.

Nicholls is also the manager of the Cascadia National side, whose shirts are sponsored by Prost Soccer.

Prost Soccer is the organisation and the communal covering Prost International, its American site Prost Amerika and Prost Publishing. Prost Publishing has produced three books on American soccer, one each on the Portland Timbers and Sounders FC, and another on women’s football. The fourth book was on Mexican football.

Nicholls himself was somewhat surprised to be sponsored:

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised.

“Commercial outlets usually want to sponsor players rather than managers. We don’t score the goals or save the penalties. So I’m very grateful to Prost International for being a bit different and supporting the whole of the game.

“For a site that can get reporters into EPL games, their coverage remains very supportive of EFL and non league football. I recall an article about our neighbours Billingham Synthonia during the lockdown when every non-league team was struggling to get any press coverage.

“Their coverage (on Prost Amerika) of my other side, Cascadia, has been second to none and I’ve been able to recruit players purely because they have read about Cascadia on there.

It’s also really nice to have support for Carlisle City from outside Cumbria. It adds to the feeling that our club is getting wider attention.”.

Brian Hall is the owner and Chairman of Carlisle City. He added:

“We are grateful to Prost International for the sponsorship of our manager.

“In these difficult times we are delighted to see so many rallying around us. Prost’s owner Steve Clare has been a key player in the development of our club website and we appreciate all the support he gives us.”

---

More on this story

Prost Amerika signs first ever player sponsorship deal

Prost Soccer becomes Cascadia jersey sponsor

Cascadia kits now on sale

Billingham Sytnhonia, the town that inspired Huxley’s Brave New World

Carlisle City FC website

---

Stu Dixon knows Nicholls well and was invited to word with him as part of the coaching staff for the Cascadian side at the 2018 ConIFA World Cup.

He praised Nicholl’s passion for non league football:

“James actually helped coach at a goalkeeping academy which I went to many years ago and later went in to manage me at Penrith AFC.

“Over the years James and I have become close friends and we speak daily about football.
James is a passionate and committed football coach with a real knowledge of non league football.

“It is no surprise with the work ethic James puts into his coaching/managing that his Carlisle City side enjoyed a successful season last year and were looking good for promotion before Covid-19.

“I am sure with his commitment to the club they will enjoy another successful season this year and be in and around the promotion places come the end of the season.”

Shauny Gardner acted as Nicholl’s assistant for Cascadia and has also played under Nicholls at Penrith AFC.

“He’s possibly the hardest working manager I’ve seen. His attention to detail is first class, especially in getting information for his players on other teams systems etc.”

Carlisle City begin their 20/21 fixtures with a trip to Heaton Stannington on September 5. Their first home game is on September 12 with Esh Winning the visitors.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt.