Carlisle United’s owner Tom Piatak is set for further talks about links between the Blues and Jacksonville – including a potential visit for the team.
Connections between Carlisle and their American owners’ home city have long been an ambition of the Piataks.
They see potential mutual benefits from a ‘sister city’ tie-up – and, eventually, a visit from United to Florida.
Discussions with Visit Jacksonville have already been held and more talks are due next week, while it is hoped officials from the American city will visit Carlisle later this year.
Further talks could coincide with the visit of a Jacksonville contingent to the UK for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ annual NFL game in London.
“There have been discussions – they're very broad right now,” Piatak told the News & Star.
“I have a meeting with Visit Jacksonville back on July 26, back in Jacksonville.
“We're trying to get the Jacksonville contingency to either attend the AFC Wimbledon match [on October 12], because that's when the Jaguars are over for two weeks, or trying to get them up here to Carlisle.
Jacksonville Jaguars are due to play at Wembley in October (Image: PA)
“Part of that meeting on the 26th is to try to see if we can get that to happen.
“I'm very confident that we will be able to get part of them at one of those sites.
“We want to do the sister city thing. We want to broaden the brand into the United States and internationally, but obviously Jacksonville would be the most logical first choice.”
Earlier this year the chief executive of Visit Jacksonville, Michael Corrigan, described the potential links with Carlisle as “exciting” and that they would “love” to welcome the Blues to train and play in Jacksonville “in the not too distant future”.
Piatak added: “It’s on the agenda of things to discuss. It is our goal and desire to get that done.
“We don’t control it entirely, we have to work with other parties, but it is our goal and desire to get that done and potentially be able to have Carlisle United over in the United States, specifically Jacksonville Florida, sometime soon.”
Jacksonville Jaguars take on Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, October 13 - the day after United's trip to Wimbledon, then face New England Patriots the Chicago Bears at Wembley the following Sunday, with Carlisle at home to Harrogate Town that weekend.
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