CHIPPENHAM Town's new signing Susan Evans might not bag many goals for the Bluebirds next season but chairman Malsolm Lyus believes she could be one of their most influential additions.

Evans is hoping to give Chippenham a financial boost when she begins her new role as the club's commercial manager on Monday.

Evans is the newly-promoted Bluebirds' first full-time member of staff is tasked with bringing new revenue into the club from outside sponsors and advertisers.

Her presence should both raise the profile of the club in the town and provide manager Tommy Saunders with the additional funds he needs in order to compete alongside big-spending Dr Martens League Premier Division clubs such as Havant and Waterloovile.

Evans joins the club from local rivals Bath City, where she has been working full-time in a commercial capacity for the past 18 months.

She is relishing the challenge of the brand new position and believes the experience she has gained in her first football club role at Bath will stand her in good stead.

Said Evans: "Hopefully I can increase their income so they can proceed. I'm sure the role will pay off for them and for me.

"I reached my targets at Bath last year and just thought I'd contact Chippenham. They said 'come and see us', and within two hours of meeting the directors I decided to say yes to the role. It is a new challenge for me and I'm starting from scratch, really. I hope to take my experience to Chippenham and there are some really nice people there.

"Obviously I'll miss it at Bath. I was new to it all when I went there. They gave me the opportunity and the experience and I was able to succeed."

Evans' work saw cash-strapped Bath benefit to the tune of £80,000 last year and Chippenham hope she will be able to perform with similar distinction at Hardenhuish Park.

Her first task will be to produce a commercial package to present to existing and potential sponsors, but she is under no illusions that she faces a huge task over the next two months in order to improve off-the-field matters in time for the 2002/03 campaign.

Said Evans: "I would like to get all those who currently support the club together and present them with a new package that I think we can offer them.

"There are people who currently have hoardings and other bits and pieces and I just want to show them what they can get out of sponsoring the club. A lot of the hoardings at the ground also need replacing and I will be trying to sort them all out. There is nothing worse than a bad hoarding or a bad sign.

"I'll also be knocking on people's doors in the town and on the trading estates. I would say to any business in the town 'don't be surprised to get a phone call from me in the near future'.

"Chippenham are on a good run and businesses need to see the benefits of getting on the bandwagon now. People have to think of what their sponsorship will be worth in the future."

Evans will be looking to increase the match and matchball sponsorship at the club, and hopes to attract young supporters to Hardenhuish Park through local businesses.

She said: "They only had three match sponsors last year that I know of, and I'm used to having considerably more than that at Bath.

"We need to look at pricing and it will take a lot of groundwork, but we will try and make it as attractive as possible for people to sponsor the club in all sorts of ways.

"I'll also be looking for companies to sponsor groups of children to come and watch home matches. They are the future of the club and you've got to think of them."

Chairman Malcolm Lyus is excited by the appointment of Evans as the club's new commercial manager and is confident she has all the attributes necessary to succeed in her new role.

Said Lyus: "Susan has raised well over £100,000 in her two years at Bath and is an extremely hard-working person. I think she'll do a great job. She'll be working full-time for us and will take us to the next level. As far as I'm concerned, Susan will be as good for the club as any player we sign. The difference is she'll make money rather than cost us money."

Bluebirds manager Tommy Saunders is another who is pleased to see Evans on board.

He said: "As a Bath resident I've seen how hard Susan Evans works and, if any of my players can help her out in any way, then she will have my full support.

"It is a brave move by the club to take someone on full-time, but I'm sure she will do a professional job."