GRAVESEND are negotiating with a potential new main sponsor after rejecting Austrian Airlines' offer to renew their deal for the 2007-08 season.

Austrian Airlines signed a one-year deal in August last year to succeed previous main sponsor Victor Gladwish.

Gudrun Sullivan, Austrian Airlines' deputy general manager, UK and Ireland, said: "Austrian tendered an offer to extend the sponsorship agreement for the 2007-2008 season. The club has advised us that this offer has not been accepted."

With extra money on the table next season following deals signed with television operators Setanta plus new Conference sponsors Blue Square, Fleet officials are gambling on attracting what would be the richest deal in the club's history.

Club chairman Jason Botley said: "We are talking to another potential sponsor and those discussions are very sensitive.

"Throughout, Austrian Airlines were kept informed over what was happening. They set us a deadline to negotiate a new deal which we could not meet so there was a parting of the ways."

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