MUSSELBURGH Athletic have signed a partnership with town snooker star Ross Muir.

The club and Muir, who is aiming to move up to the top table of the sport, will work together to explore commercial opportunities as well as opportunities for community engagement.

Muir, who was a talented goalkeeper as a youngster, said: “To be associated with my hometown club is going to help raise not only my profile but also that of the club, which can only be a good thing.”

The 27-year-old is hopeful of working with Musselburgh Athletic, who play in the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division, to encourage more people locally to take up snooker, and to also support their local football team.

He said: “Trying to develop snooker at a grassroots level in Musselburgh is a passion for me and I know the guys at Musselburgh Athletic and Musselburgh Windsor do a lot a work for the kids getting into football.

“That is a big thing for me. When I was a kid growing up playing snooker there were loads of us starting out at the game. Grassroots has taken a little bit of a decline in recent years, so I’d be keen to approach and try to tackle that and improve the general level.“

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David Maclean, commercial manager at the football club, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this partnership with Ross.

“As a community-focused club, we share the same principles as Ross in wanting to engage with the Musselburgh community and working together will allow us to do this and also raise both our profiles.

“Exploring collaborative commercial opportunities is also an exciting opportunity for us.

“We look forward to seeing Ross in and around the club in between competitions, and we wish him well for his forthcoming German Masters tournament.”