THE partnership between Cherries and health insurers Vitality is a “marriage made in heaven”, according to club chairman Jeff Mostyn.

The historic deal, which has already seen Dean Court rebranded as Vitality Stadium, was launched with a handshake between Mr Mostyn and Vitality’s CEO Neville Koopowitz at a press conference on Monday.

It builds on Vitality's official wellness partnership with the club and its principal partnership of AFC Bournemouth's Community Sports Trust.

Mr Mostyn said he hopes the deal with Vitality, which employs more than 400 people in the town, will be the “beginning of a long, happy and successful relationship.”

“This is a marriage made in heaven,” he said.

“To actually get a sponsor who is interested in helping our community – as opposed to just putting their name over a door and looking for the global recognition we are all expecting through the Premier League coverage – is extremely refreshing and we hope rewarding for both organisations."

Mr Mostyn, who has borne witness to the club’s meteoric rise since it almost went out of business in 2008, said the money coming in from the sponsorship as well as television deals should be used to build a “long lasting legacy”.

He said: “Our desire is to promote longevity. Both longevity in terms of the relationship we have with our business partners – like Vitality – and also longevity in terms of our status in the Premier League.

“We are trying to look at the infrastructure of the ground. That will be a long-lasting legacy for this football club. That is something we are immensely proud of. Irrespective of what the future holds – we know the season will be a challenge, but we are up for a challenge like we always have been – it is all about longevity, security for the football club forever more, as opposed to the trials and tribulations that we’ve all experienced before.”

Mr Koopowitz added that he too is looking forward to working with the club to “enhance the community”, revealing the deal would have gone ahead irrespective of whether the club had won promotion or not.

He said: “We were way down the road of discussions before Bournemouth were promoted. We would still be sitting here today if history wasn’t the way it had gone.”