FOR generations of football-mad youngsters they have been a staple present on Christmas morning.

And despite the advent of new technology, football club annuals remain a much-loved gift.

That is good news for one North East family business which has just completed its latest seasonal order of annuals for eight football clubs.

Twocan Design, based at the North East Business & Innovation Centre (BIC) in Sunderland, has designed and produced Christmas annuals for eight Premiership and Championship clubs, including top North East clubs Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The company has worked tirelessly since the start of the new football season in July, preparing the publications in time for their release in the run-up to Christmas.

The family firm, made up of husband and wife Paul and Sheena Briggs, along with daughter Louise, has a growing football portfolio. Twocan Design recently designed and produced former Wearside legend Gary Bennett’s autobiography and there are more exciting projects in the pipeline for 2012.

Paul said the annuals remain as popular as ever: “Being a lifelong Sunderland fan, working with the football clubs has been really exciting for us.

“We’ve built upon our football client base year on year, having started with Sunderland FC back in 1995, and it is something we very much enjoy.”

The business, which was set up in 1994, works with clients across a range of sectors, offering design, photography, illustration, publishing and new media support to companies in the North East and across the UK from its base at the BIC.

David Howell, director of operations at the BIC, said: “Twocan is a fantastic business that is growing its client base at pace.

“There are some great businesses based at the BIC, and Twocan is just one example of a North East business that is making an impact at a local and national level and putting Sunderland and the region on the map.”