By Maggie Hartford

Business Editor THE boss of Internet company Domino has no regrets about his decision to sponsor Oxford United for a six-figure sum, despite the club's poor showing last season.

Though United were relegated to Nationwide Division 3 for the first time since 1965, Domino's managing director Carl Christensen said the sponsorship had been a success for his company.

He said: "When you do something on this level it's not easy to measure in the traditional sense how much of a success such a venture has been.

"We've seen the Domino name across the back page of The Oxford Mail almost every day over the past season and it's definitely a talking point.

"We have taken clients and contacts to games and been able to socialise with them in a way not previously possible.

"We were disappointed that they have been relegated, but a key point for a sponsor is that you don't become too involved with the club at the football level. At the end of the day, football isn't our business.

"The club has had problems and you have to face that. We want them to succeed and we think they will again, it's merely a matter of when rather than if. Within our sponsorship agreement we were happy to pay a bonus if the club won promotion.

"As a Web agency we enjoyed developing the OUFC site. It wasn't hard to find staff who wanted to work on it because a number of them are fans.

"To see your company name in The Oxford Mail and on supporters' shirts around the town has definitely been worthwhile. Most of our staff attended games throughout the season and many have taken friends and family, courtesy of the company.

"The benefits we found vary considerably - some were expected, but others were surprising. The deal has helped build awareness for Domino and has become a talking point when meeting clients and business contacts.

"We know a number of our local clients learned quickly about us via the sponsorship."

He added: "Recruitment has been a key concern for us and attracting the right candidates has been a priority.

"By creating greater local awareness we have increased the number of incoming job inquiries and we feel that sponsoring the club has helped create the right image when applicants look at us as a prospective employer."

Domino Systems is based at Eynsham and Kingston Bagpuize and can be contacted on www.domino.com