Herne Bay first-team manager Ben Smith describes club’s partnership with Eleven Energy as potentially most exciting in club’s history; Bay begin pre-season schedule with friendlies against Rusthall and Chatham Town

Boss Ben Smith has described Herne Bay’s latest partnership as potentially the most exciting in their history.

The Isthmian South East side have announced they have joined forces with international business Eleven Energy.

A firm that specialises in renewable energy - and founded by a member of the Saudi Royal Family, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud - they have already set about helping to make plans for a Dutch club to face Herne Bay on Saturday, July 18, at the start of what potentially could be an extremely exciting Bay era.

Discussions around sponsoring club advertising boards have also been mooted at Winch’s Field.

Smith said: “The club has been waiting for something like this to come along.

“It’s going to be the most exciting partnership in the club’s history. That’s the best way I can put it.

“Possibly, it’s the best thing to happen to a club in this area for quite a while! I don’t want to say too much about it because talk is cheap.

“But over the course of the next six months, let’s see what we are talking about.”

Smith met Chris Todd, head of global trading for Eleven Energy, in London and has thanked him and Talal Al Saud upon confirmation of the new club partnership.

He revealed chairman Matt Barman first told him about some of the potential plans that are now coming to fruition, including the partnership with Eleven Energy - whose headquarters are in Saudi Arabia, with established trading offices also in Dammam and Rotterdam - as he tempted Smith to make a Herne Bay return in late March.

“They’re a fairly new company in that field,” said Smith. “But if you look at who they are backed by, it won’t take them long to become a big player in a very competitive market.

“To say we’re over the moon they have seen