Bristol sports fans have another new kit to look out for this season.

Supported by the Evening Post and now backed by main corporate sponsor Easy Living Furniture, the Bristol Pitbulls are to inject new life into the Bristol ice rink come September and return the city to the ranks of professional ice hockey for the first time in more than 16 years.

Player-coach Rich Hargreaves, 30, a local boy who has spent his career playing outside of Bristol due to the lack of a senior ice hockey team in the area, has fulfilled a lifetime's ambition of setting up a side in his home city.

The addition of sponsors Easy Living Furniture has added some financial security for the season ahead in Division Two of the English National League (ENL).

Hargreaves received the club's new kit this week and is hoping his new backing will help spur the team up the league.

He has already been offered a place in Division One of the ENL but turned down the offer to ensure the club grows steadily and sustainably so as to be in a position to compete with the top teams in the country within the next few years.

"Easy Living Furniture is a national company who aren't strangers to sponsoring the sport," Hargreaves told the Evening Post. "They've also backed the likes of Swindon Wildcats, Slough Jets and last year's Divison Two champions the Chelmsford Cheftains so they were very keen to get involved with us.

"The guys are paying their way with subs this season so this backing allows me to dabble with bringing in more people and better players.

"It gives me a bigger market to fish in as I can offer to pay for people's visas and paperwork."

The Pitbulls will take on the Oxford Stars in a pre-season face-off at the Bristol Ice Rink on August 29 at 5pm with a return match in Oxford the next day.