This will take The Co-operative Insurance's term of sponsorship which began in 1999 to twelve seasons and is a significant endorsement of the strength of the tournament and Scottish football.  The straight knock-out format of the competition will remain unchanged, with the 42 clubs from the top four Scottish divisions competing for The Co-operative Insurance Cup trophy, over six rounds.

Commenting on the contract renewal Dick Parkhouse, Managing Director, Retail for The Co-operative Financial Services said:

"We are delighted to be renewing our sponsorship of The Co-operative Insurance Cup. The Co-operative Insurance has supported The League Cup for the past ten seasons, and during that time we have become very familiar with a competition which is exciting, engaging and unpredictable.

"The Co-operative Insurance Cup receives tremendous exposure in the Scottish print media, is broadcast on TV and the internet with live ties and highlights, but most importantly of all, it commands a place in the hearts and minds of the fans, players, clubs and communities who are involved in it."

"We are extremely grateful to member clubs of The Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League who help with access to players which assists our efforts to generate coverage for the tournament.And of course, we are also tremendously appreciative for the generous support by the sports media for both the competition and our promotional activities."

David Longmuir, Chief Executive of The Scottish Football League, acknowledged the commitment by The Co-operative Insurance towards Scottish football: 

"We are delighted to be announcing this contract renewal - it is great news for Scottish football in general and The Scottish Football League in particular.

"The Co-operative Insurance's dedication and commitment to the League Cup reflects the importance of football in Scotland 's culture, its importance to the current and emerging generations, and its role at the heart of communities, towns and cities throughout Scotland ."

Alongside The Co-operative Insurance's sponsorship of The Co-operative Insurance Cup, it also has a grassroots programme which provides kits and equipment to junior teams throughout the UK.  Since it began in 1999 it has provided kits to over 3,200 junior teams and coaching to over 16,000 children.

Alex Salmond, Scotland 's First Minister, who attended the announcement on Wednesday 7th January, commented:

"The League Cup is an important tournament in the Scottish football calendar and I welcome the news that The Co-operative Insurance is extending their sponsorship of this competition.

"I am delighted that a household name such as The Co-operative Insurance is continuing to support sport in Scotland through this renewed deal and their grassroots programme which provides kits, equipment and coaching to junior football teams."

This season is the final year of the current sponsorship and the new contract will commence season 2009 / 2010.

Key Dates - The Co-operative Insurance Cup Season 2008 - 2009

?Semi-finals - 27 / 28 January 2009
?Final - 15 March 2009

Background Information

The Co-operative Insurance Cup Season 2008 / 2009

This season the title of the Scottish Football League Cup has changed from the CIS Insurance Cup to the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

Why?

CIS has been re-branded to The Co-operative Insurance.

All the companies that operate within The Co-operative Group are re-naming their businesses and adopting the same new look. This is to reflect the consistency of The Co-operative brand and its values across all the products and services it offers.

The Co-operative Insurance is part of the wider financial services group, The Co-operative Financial Services, which also includes The Co-operative Investments and The Co-operative Bank and its internet bank smile.The Co-operative Financial Services currently has 5.5m customers and employs over 8,000 staff. It has 116 retail and corporate branches / centres and over 1,000 face to face financial advisers. It has £38bn of assets under management across its retail and corporate business areas.

The Co-operative Financial Services in turn is part of The Co-operative, the UK 's most ethical brand*. The Co-operative has over 3 million members and over 4,500 outlets - including banks, investments, food stores, pharmacies, travel agents, funeralcare and a team of legal advisers - all with similar values and principles.

The Co-operative Thinking

Examples of our Co-operative Thinking include:

?To fight climate change, The Co-operative Financial Services offsets 110% of its carbon emissions and in doing so became the first major UK company to go beyond carbon neutral

?The Co-operative Insurance is the only insurance business in the world to have a customer-led Ethical Engagement Policy which guides the social, ethical and environmental aspects of its investments

?The Co-operative Financial Services offices recycle over eight times as much waste as the average office

?The Co-operative Insurance's motor insurance policies encourage repair rather than replacement of body panels and plastic parts including bumpers

?The Co-operative Insurance grassroots programme has provided football coaching for more than 16,000 children in the UK

?As part of The Co-operative Bank's Ethical Policy, it has turned away over £900 million of loans to businesses which conflict with its Ethical Policy

?The Co-operative Bank's customers helped the Bank campaign for a ban on landmines - they're now illegal in 155 countries

*GFK NOP Ethics Brand Survey was conducted in the US , UK , France , Germany and Spain amongst 5,000 individuals in total - GFK NOP Press Release 2007.