A Sussex company has clinched radio broadcast deals with four top UK football clubs and has its sights on many more.

Radio First has a goal of creating a national digital radio network to begin broadcasting during the 2001/2002 football season.

The company has set up The Fan Radio Network, formed from individual commercial stations broadcasting from the stadiums of Premiership football clubs.

Rory McLeod, managing director of Brighton-based Radio First, said: "Many football clubs sell their radio rights for next to nothing but they are often the biggest brand in town. We offered clubs the opportunity to make the most of their intellectual property and use their media potential for themselves, instead of selling to the media giants."

The latest club to join the network last week was Derby County FC. Similar deals have already been agreed with Southampton, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

Each radio station has been set up as a separate joint venture between Radio First and the football club concerned with all profits being split equally.

Rory said: "The network is the first of its kind in Europe and the clubs have confidence in the idea. They have been signing up for 12 years - the longest sports rights deals ever seen in this country."

The station branding and football content will reflect each broadcasting club.

Fans will be able to tune in for exclusive club information, match commentaries, and news flashes of the latest scores.

Rory said: "The coverage will be different, unashamedly populist and partisan, broadcasting a mixture of entertainment, chart music and football news 24 hours a day, all year round."

Radio First plans to offer national advertising campaigns for the network by presenting a one-stop option to buy coverage on all the stations across the country.

The company has been working to sign up clubs from the north of England and Scotland to cover the remaining advertising regions.

Rory said: "Each club takes about a year to negotiate a contract. We are also working on networks in Holland and Germany."

John Aumonier founded Radio First in 1995 after being the first managing director of Virgin Rock and Talk Radio. Keith Harris, non-executive chair of Radio First, holds the post of chairman of The Football League in England.