An American restaurant chain is set to become an amateur football club’s first ever official partner.

Hashtag United Women’s Football Club, which is based in Pitsea, is teaming up with TGI Fridays for the next two seasons.

It means the team will wear shirts featuring Fridays’ branding, and will make numerous appearances on the restaurant chain’s official social media pages.

Plans are also in place to host club events and celebrations at Fridays restaurants.

Seb Carmichael-Brown, co-founder and commercial director at Hashtag United, added: “We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with Fridays.

“From my youth I fondly remember spending many evenings celebrating family occasions in their restaurants, and now to have them partnering with us and specifically our women’s team it is something very special.

“We now look forward to hopefully celebrating some of the clubs future success there and creating new memories for the team.

“With a local venue just down the road from our stadium, I am sure the whole Hashtag family are looking forward to some great times at Fridays during the next few years and hopefully beyond.”

Dan Staples, Chief Marketing Officer at Fridays, added: “We are very excited to be the first ever official principle partner of Hashtag United Women’s Football Club.

“The highly engaged following the club has established over the last five years is a reflection of the relevant and compelling content that the club and its players continually create.

“We are looking forward to working with everybody at the Tags to bring that Fridays Feeling to the Hashtag community and to further raise the profile of the women’s game.”

Hashtag United was founded in 2016 and is one of the world’s best known amateur football clubs due to its work on social media.

It is said to have the seventh biggest digital football following in the UK.