Umbro
Encyclopedia
Umbro is an English
sportswear
and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester
, England
. The company is now part of Nike
. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment. Its products are sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
, Cheshire
as Humphreys Brothers Clothing.
After working in various parts of the tailoring industry, Harold Humphreys set up Umbro with his brother Wallace, with the aim of bringing the ideals and practices of the industry into the burgeoning world of sportswear.
Setting up in Cheadle, near Manchester
, the company soon established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, fitting out numerous football teams as the sport grew from a popular pastime to become a national sport. Umbro (a portmanteau of its previous name, Humphrey Brothers) really started to gain national recognition when they provided the smart, tailored kits for both Portsmouth and Manchester City
in the 1934 FA Cup Final.
However, Umbro is perhaps best known for its long-running association with the England national team. Apart from a decade between 1974 and 1984 in which Admiral supplied the kits, Umbro have crafted England
teams at all levels, an association that goes back to 1954.
Today, the brand has been reinvigorated by an association with American sportswear giant Nike
. Buying Umbro in 2008, Nike has helped Umbro to re-energise and to use its illustrious heritage to inspire its current designs. Currently supplying tailored kits to England, Wales
, Northern Ireland
, the Republic of Ireland
, Manchester City, Rangers
, Blackburn Rovers
, Sunderland
and Nottingham Forest.
, proved popular and went into mass production internationally two years later.
Umbro also manufactured a popular style of shorts
that reached its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were made of nylon
, had a drawstring waistband, and often came in bright colours. With the growth of youth football (soccer) leagues in the United States
in the 1980s, many youths, teens, and young adults began wearing them as everyday clothing. Like football itself, they were equally popular among both genders. At the height of the fashion, other brands of football shorts, such as Adidas
, Diadora
, Hummel
, Lotto
and Mitre
, also became popular.
Its major competitors in this market include Adidas, Nike
, Lotto, Puma
, and fellow North West England
manufacturer Reebok
.
Umbro also started to produce soccer-realated pencil-cases recently
On 19 October 2007, JJB Sports
bought a 10.1% stake in Umbro in a move to protect its stake in the market for England football shirts.
On 23 October 2007, it was announced Umbro had agreed to be bought by Nike in a deal worth , the equivalent of 193p per share. The Umbro board recommended to its shareholders they vote in favour of the approach as it offered a very competitive price for the business. Umbro's share price at the time of the offer was close to 130p. The deal was approved by regulators in December 2007 and concluded in February 2008.
Umbro currently manufactures all types of sports wear apparel including training gear and football boots. The company is also a major player in kit manufacture for some of the world's best known teams.
Recent innovations in Umbro's football boot department include the SX Boot. Deco
has been playing in the boots which are visually striking with different colours for each foot, reflecting the left (logical, assertive) and right (intuitive, creative and passionate) sides of the brains. The boot uses Michelin
tyre manufacturing-related technology which, is claimed, improves control by up to 90%, though this is unprovable ..
More recent releases by Umbro include the Stealth boot, worn by players such as Gael Clichy
and Phil Jagielka
, and released in a number of bright colours. The Umbro GT, released in July 2010, is worn by Aston Villa striker Darren Bent
. It is claimed to be Umbro's lightest ever boot.
June 2011 saw the release of the Umbro Geometra Pro. Similar in many ways to parent company Nike's CTR360, these football boots are designed for creative midfielders, and their main endorser is Liverpool
and England U-21s centre-mid Jordan Henderson
.
Umbro's products have been endorsed by many professional athletes around the world – for a full list of teams and players sponsored by Umbro see 'List of Umbro sponsorships'.
, who won the FA Cup
that year.
Over the years since, Umbro has produced kits for numerous professional teams around the world, as well as referee kits for some leagues. As of 4 June 2009, Umbro are now, once again, kit suppliers to Manchester City in a ten year sponsorship deal rumoured to be worth £50 million.
In addition to club teams, Umbro also produced playing kits for a variety of international teams worldwide. During the 1966 FIFA World Cup
, all but one of the 16 participating teams wore Umbro kits. The England national team wore Umbro shirts by choice until 1974, until the Football Association, encouraged by the England manager Don Revie
, sold the jersey manufacturing rights to Admiral. In 1982, the FA returned to Umbro as England jersey manufacturers and they have remained so ever since.
However, their comparative size has meant that Umbro has suffered in recent years, with many of the big clubs it provided for now choosing to accept higher financial bids for shirt manufacture contracts from the 'big two' of Nike and Adidas (notably including Celtic
, Manchester United
, Ajax, and Chelsea
. In addition to this, Puma has vastly increased its participation in football and now provide many national teams with kits, particularly on the African continent. However, Umbro still managed to retain its long-standing partnership with The FA and, often in cooperation with JJB Sports
, gained new contracts for a number of clubs in recent years, including Rangers
and several other Welsh, English and Scottish clubs.
and official sponsor of the new Wembley Stadium
. Umbro will partner The FA
in the further development of the National Football Centre (NFC) at Burton-upon-Trent, becoming the title sponsor of the Centre. Umbro is also the exclusive supplier of footballs to The FA
.
Umbro has been the title sponsor of The FA Umbro Fives
since 2007, The FA's national 5-a-side competition. The FA Umbro Fives national final takes place at Wembley Stadium every year.
and rugby league
.
Umbro now has an exclusive clothing range with House of Fraser
.
, the parent organization for North America's lower division men's soccer (tiers two through four in the American Soccer Pyramid), and the second tier women's league (W-League) and youth league (Super Y-League).
During the 2009 USL First Division season, the Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery
, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rochester Rhinos, Austin Aztex
, and Puerto Rico Islanders
all wore Umbro kits.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Heath in Stockport, and the East Didsbury area of Manchester. As of 2001 it had a population of 14,261.-Early history:There has...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The company is now part of Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment. Its products are sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
History
The company was founded in 1924 in WilmslowWilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
as Humphreys Brothers Clothing.
After working in various parts of the tailoring industry, Harold Humphreys set up Umbro with his brother Wallace, with the aim of bringing the ideals and practices of the industry into the burgeoning world of sportswear.
Setting up in Cheadle, near Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, the company soon established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, fitting out numerous football teams as the sport grew from a popular pastime to become a national sport. Umbro (a portmanteau of its previous name, Humphrey Brothers) really started to gain national recognition when they provided the smart, tailored kits for both Portsmouth and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in the 1934 FA Cup Final.
However, Umbro is perhaps best known for its long-running association with the England national team. Apart from a decade between 1974 and 1984 in which Admiral supplied the kits, Umbro have crafted England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
teams at all levels, an association that goes back to 1954.
Today, the brand has been reinvigorated by an association with American sportswear giant Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. Buying Umbro in 2008, Nike has helped Umbro to re-energise and to use its illustrious heritage to inspire its current designs. Currently supplying tailored kits to England, Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, Manchester City, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
and Nottingham Forest.
Key dates in Umbro history
- 1924 – Harold Humphreys sets up Umbro with his brother Wallace
- 1934 – Umbro supply their innovative ‘Tangeru’ kits to both FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalists, and for at least one team in the final for the next decade.
- 1939–45 – To aid the war effort, Umbro’s factories are used to make uniforms for British forces, and even make fittings for the inside of Lancaster BombersAvro LancasterThe Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
.
- 1954 – Deal to provide kits to the EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team is agreed.
- 1961 – Umbro starts to sell the innovative AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
football boot in the UK, part of an exclusive deal with the German company.
- 1966 – 15 of the 16 teams at the World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in England are kitted out in Umbro gear. Only the USSRSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, who had agreed to wear Umbro kits, renege on the deal. At the same time, Umbro are supplying kits to 85% of British clubs.
- 1967 – CelticCeltic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
become the first British club to win the European Cup, wearing Umbro kits.
- 1970 – Working with England manager Alf RamseyAlf RamseySir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
, Umbro create their ‘Aztec’ shirts for the World Cup.
- 1977 – LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
win a league and European Cup double, the start of their decade-long success in football. They would wear Umbro kits for a large part of this period.
- 1980s – A period of massive expansion for Umbro, as the growth in popularity of ‘soccer’ in the USA and the success of the Umbro short amongst American children.
- 1990s – AFC Ajax From AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Wins the Champions leaque in umbro kit and Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
in 1995. Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
become the dominant force in English football, crowned by their treble success in 1999 – all achieved in Umbro kits. BrazilBrazil national football teamThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
also cement their place at the head of the world football table, winning their fourth World Cup whilst wearing Umbro kits. The decade also sees the launch of another iconic Umbro product, the Speciali boot, worn by the likes of Alan ShearerAlan ShearerAlan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
and Michael OwenMichael OwenMichael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
throughout their careers.
- 2000s – Continuing to supply kits to many top teams, Umbro was bought by Nike in 2008. Revitalising the brand, Umbro launched their Tailored by England range in 2009 with the England home kit, and have now spread the concept to all the teams supplied by Umbro. As of 4 June 2009, Umbro are now, once again, kit suppliers to Manchester City in a ten year sponsorship deal rumoured to be worth £50 million.
Umbro products
Until the mid-1980s, the company manufactured only sports clothing, in particular football jerseys, shorts, and socks, but had no footwear range. Eventually, in 1985 Umbro decided to introduce its first football boot into the Brazilian market. This design, cheaper than the products of existing boot brands such as AdidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, proved popular and went into mass production internationally two years later.
Umbro also manufactured a popular style of shorts
Shorts
Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
that reached its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were made of nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
, had a drawstring waistband, and often came in bright colours. With the growth of youth football (soccer) leagues in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1980s, many youths, teens, and young adults began wearing them as everyday clothing. Like football itself, they were equally popular among both genders. At the height of the fashion, other brands of football shorts, such as Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Diadora
Diadora
Diadora is an Italian football, tennis, running, cycling, rugby, athletic shoe, clothing, and fashion accessory manufacturer with locations in Italy, the United States, and Hong Kong.-History:...
, Hummel
Hummel International
hummel International is a Denmark-based sportswear company. The firm was started in 1923 by the Messmer family in the town of Hamburg, Germany. It currently manufactures apparel for football, handball, basketball, rugby league, Australian football, shinty and volleyball...
, Lotto
Lotto Sport Italia
Lotto Sport Italia is an Italian sports apparel manufacturer. Its products are now distributed in more than 60 countries.-History:Lotto was established in 1973 by the Caberlotto family in Montebelluna, northern Italy, the world centre of footwear manufacturing. In June 1973, Lotto made its debut...
and Mitre
Mitre Sports International
Mitre is a British sportswear and equipment supplier based in England, owned by Pentland Group. Established in England in 1817, Mitre is the world’s oldest manufacturer of footballs.- History :...
, also became popular.
Its major competitors in this market include Adidas, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Lotto, Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
, and fellow North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
manufacturer Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
.
Umbro also started to produce soccer-realated pencil-cases recently
On 19 October 2007, JJB Sports
JJB Sports
JJB Sports plc is a United Kingdom sports retailer. It currently operates 251 stores in the UK and Ireland.- History :The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early...
bought a 10.1% stake in Umbro in a move to protect its stake in the market for England football shirts.
On 23 October 2007, it was announced Umbro had agreed to be bought by Nike in a deal worth , the equivalent of 193p per share. The Umbro board recommended to its shareholders they vote in favour of the approach as it offered a very competitive price for the business. Umbro's share price at the time of the offer was close to 130p. The deal was approved by regulators in December 2007 and concluded in February 2008.
Umbro currently manufactures all types of sports wear apparel including training gear and football boots. The company is also a major player in kit manufacture for some of the world's best known teams.
Recent innovations in Umbro's football boot department include the SX Boot. Deco
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH , commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense....
has been playing in the boots which are visually striking with different colours for each foot, reflecting the left (logical, assertive) and right (intuitive, creative and passionate) sides of the brains. The boot uses Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
tyre manufacturing-related technology which, is claimed, improves control by up to 90%, though this is unprovable ..
More recent releases by Umbro include the Stealth boot, worn by players such as Gael Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
and Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
, and released in a number of bright colours. The Umbro GT, released in July 2010, is worn by Aston Villa striker Darren Bent
Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
. It is claimed to be Umbro's lightest ever boot.
June 2011 saw the release of the Umbro Geometra Pro. Similar in many ways to parent company Nike's CTR360, these football boots are designed for creative midfielders, and their main endorser is Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and England U-21s centre-mid Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson
Jordan Brian Henderson is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team as a midfielder. He had a loan spell at Coventry City in 2009. He earned his first international cap for England, having previously played for the under-19, under-20 and...
.
Umbro's products have been endorsed by many professional athletes around the world – for a full list of teams and players sponsored by Umbro see 'List of Umbro sponsorships'.
Kit manufacturing
Umbro has produced kits for many notable football teams since establishment. Its first kit was produced in 1934, for Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, who won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
that year.
Over the years since, Umbro has produced kits for numerous professional teams around the world, as well as referee kits for some leagues. As of 4 June 2009, Umbro are now, once again, kit suppliers to Manchester City in a ten year sponsorship deal rumoured to be worth £50 million.
In addition to club teams, Umbro also produced playing kits for a variety of international teams worldwide. During the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
, all but one of the 16 participating teams wore Umbro kits. The England national team wore Umbro shirts by choice until 1974, until the Football Association, encouraged by the England manager Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
, sold the jersey manufacturing rights to Admiral. In 1982, the FA returned to Umbro as England jersey manufacturers and they have remained so ever since.
However, their comparative size has meant that Umbro has suffered in recent years, with many of the big clubs it provided for now choosing to accept higher financial bids for shirt manufacture contracts from the 'big two' of Nike and Adidas (notably including Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Ajax, and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. In addition to this, Puma has vastly increased its participation in football and now provide many national teams with kits, particularly on the African continent. However, Umbro still managed to retain its long-standing partnership with The FA and, often in cooperation with JJB Sports
JJB Sports
JJB Sports plc is a United Kingdom sports retailer. It currently operates 251 stores in the UK and Ireland.- History :The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early...
, gained new contracts for a number of clubs in recent years, including Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and several other Welsh, English and Scottish clubs.
Business with Football Association
Umbro is currently the official sports manufacturer of the English FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and official sponsor of the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. Umbro will partner The FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
in the further development of the National Football Centre (NFC) at Burton-upon-Trent, becoming the title sponsor of the Centre. Umbro is also the exclusive supplier of footballs to The FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
.
Umbro has been the title sponsor of The FA Umbro Fives
FA Umbro Fives
The FA Umbro Fives is a national 5-a-side football competition run by The Football Association. The National Final is held every year at Wembley Stadium with winners from Regional Finals across the country competing to become the official 5-a-side champions of England...
since 2007, The FA's national 5-a-side competition. The FA Umbro Fives national final takes place at Wembley Stadium every year.
Other interests
Umbro has also manufactured kits for AthleticsAthletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
.
Umbro now has an exclusive clothing range with House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
.
Umbro and United Soccer Leagues
Umbro was the majority owner (94%) of United Soccer LeaguesUnited Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
, the parent organization for North America's lower division men's soccer (tiers two through four in the American Soccer Pyramid), and the second tier women's league (W-League) and youth league (Super Y-League).
During the 2009 USL First Division season, the Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rochester Rhinos, Austin Aztex
Austin Aztex
Austin Aztex FC was an American professional soccer team based in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL First Division, and in the USL Division of the USSF D2 Pro League, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, and Puerto Rico Islanders
Puerto Rico Islanders
Puerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional football team based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
all wore Umbro kits.