Admiral Sportswear
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| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Textile |
| Founded | 1914 in Leicester |
| Headquarters | Manchester, |
| Products | Sportswear Accessories |
| Website | www.admiralsportswear.com |
Admiral Sportswear is an internationally recognised football and cricket brand.
Admiral was the supplier of sports apparel to the England cricket team until 23 April 2008 and, until the end of the 2007/08 season, Leeds United A.F.C..
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[edit] History
[edit] The beginning
The trademark 'Admiral" was created in 1914 by ABC Hosiery ltd (later known as Cook & Hurst Ltd) manufacturing good quality English made underwear and, subsequently, items of sportswear. When England won the World Cup in 1966, Bert Patrick, the owner of Cook & Hurst, commenced manufacturing and marketing football kits.The kits sales were aimed at the juvenile market and through selling connections in the sports retail trade. Bert Patrick believed that the advent of coloured television would enable him to persuade football clubs to accept personalized kits which his designers would produce and then register them under the Design Copyright Act. There was stiff opposition to his ideas from all sections of the public.
[edit] The 1970s: Leeds United and England
Through its connection with Leeds United, Admiral pioneered the introduction and development of the replica kit market in the UK. In the 1973–1974 season, Leeds United wore the first visibly branded kit in the English top flight.
Realising the potential of the replica kit market, Admiral brokered a deal with the FA in 1974 to produce the first commercially available England shirt that featured a sportswear manufacturers logo. They agreed a five-year contract for a starting payment of £15,000 a year or a 10 per cent royalty.
[edit] Other clubs
Admiral signed up other big clubs alongside Leeds United, such as Manchester United F.C., Portsmouth F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Southampton F.C. and West Ham United F.C.. It also developed outside of England, signing up Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt and the A.S.Bari and the Saudi Arabia national team.
[edit] The 1980s: Decline & Rebirth
Admiral began the decade with the launch of a new England kit in 1980, the first new kit in nearly 6 years. This kit was first worn in the 3–1 win over Argentina at Wembley Stadium on 13 May. However, the 1980s marked a period of decline for the Admiral brand, as it began to lose the contracts with the major clubs to domestic rival, Umbro, and new international entrant, Adidas.
Even though Admiral still held the England kit contract, one of the most valuable in the world, the company was declared bankrupt in 1982. The brand reappeared on the market for the 1983–84 season producing the same double pinstripe design for both Leicester City and Notts County. Towards the end of the '80s Hull City, Crystal Palace and Bradford City were added to the Admiral roster. They were also the first ever kit maker of Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Admiral also produced kits for many of the NASL teams during the late '70s and early '80s, and had a replica licensing deal with all clubs, including the New York Cosmos and for two seasons produced the uniforms for every team in the MISL.
[edit] The 1990s
Admiral entered the 1990s well placed to build upon its widespread recognition and continued to supply clubs including: Leeds (Football League Champions in 1991–1992), Dynamo Kiev (USSR Champions), Southampton, Middlesbrough, Bradford City, Charlton Athletic, Wimbledon, Hearts, Motherwell, [[FK Partizan], and many more.
After a period of relative inactivity during the mid-1990s, the Admiral trademark was acquired in 1997 by Hay & Robertson plc, and ownership was transferred to International Brand Licensing in a demerger in 2002.
[edit] 2000 & Beyond
In 2000, Admiral entered the world of cricket and became the official kit supplier to the England Cricket Teams. By 2001 Admiral had also become the kit supplier to the West Indies and South Africa cricket teams as well as supplying the Canadian team for the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa.
Admiral was the official kit supplier to the England cricket teams until 2008 (now sponsored by Adidas), the West Indies cricket team and continues the brand's tradition of supplying kit to major high profile football clubs with Leeds United.
In 2011, Admiral Sportswear Limited acquired the brand rights for the Admiral brand for most of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, with the intention of re-energising the heritage sports brand.[1][2]
[edit] Sponsorships
Admiral currently provides kit uniforms for the following football teams:
[edit] References
- ^ "Revitalizing Admiral: The story so far" from the official website
- ^ "WGSN: Admiral brand revitalistation" by Andrew Jobling, 2011-07-04
- ^ Bolivar and Admiral announce partnership
- ^ Wallsall kit for 2011-12 season
- ^ http://admiral.axissoccer.com/admiral_sp/news/afcadmiral/
- ^ http://admiral.axissoccer.com/admiral_en/news/prislandersadmiral
- ^ http://www.ganusoccer.net/v6/en/component/content/frontpage/frontpage.html?start=300
