One of Britain's top online gaming groups, known as a clan, is seeking sponsorship to help it attend a prestigious tournament in the US.

Although many European clans have managed to get sponsorship to cover travel and basic gaming costs, few UK-based clans have managed to secure similar backing.

The Four-Kings (4K) clan is sending out e-mail messages to prospective sponsors to see if they can help contribute to the costs of sending six of its members to the tournament in Texas.

If the clan makes it to the tournament and does well they could come home with $25,000 in prize money.

Game on

Toby Aldridge, captain of the Four-Kings clan, said it needed about �4500 to attend the QuakeCon conference being held in Mesquite, Texas from 15-18 August.

Gaining any kind of sponsorship in the UK is basically impossible

James McCarthy, Iron Fist

The 4K clan is hoping to take the honours playing the Return to Castle Wolfenstein game.

Although many gaming websites run online tournaments and divisional competitions that let clans find out who is the best, it is usually the real world tournaments that confer the biggest prestige and, more importantly, prize money.

Many of these competitions are invitation only and clans only get asked to attend if they have done well in site-based or national leagues.

As a result, the top clans are keen to attend these tournaments but it can prove expensive to go to them all.

Unfortunately online gaming in the UK is still seen as, at best, a boy's hobby rather than something potentially lucrative or even worthwhile.

"Gaining any kind of sponsorship in the UK is basically impossible," said James McCarthy, aka Anarchy of Quake clan Iron Fist.

He said four members of Iron Fist recently attended the Cyberathlete Professional League tournament in Cologne and paid about �400 each to get there and play.

"That isn't too expensive as a one-off," he said. "But I doubt we could maintain that, as in attend every possible event, without some kind of sponsorship backing especially any competitions that are held in the USA."

Skin game

Toby Aldridge said that gaming is taken much more seriously on the continent.

The realistic look of Wolfenstein has boosted its popularity

"Germany takes sponsorship very seriously," he said. "Most of the top clans there have multiple sponsors for travel and free hardware."

Clan running costs can be offset slightly by the rewards for winning online tournaments but many British clans need cash to help them keep up with their European counterparts.

Toby Aldridge said if 4K won sponsorship its members would be happy to wear t-shirts emblazoned with the sponsor's name and even change the name of the clan to include that of the sponsor.

But one thing they will not be able to do is change the appearance of their in-game alter-egos to reflect a company logo or name.

"You can't wear custom skins in games these days, as they are often taken advantage of and made bright green or white for visibility, making it easier to see opponents," he said.

Sponsors can contact Toby Aldridge by sending an e-mail message to: [email protected]