Umbro

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Textile
Founded	1924 in Wilmslow
Headquarters	Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England
Products	Sportswear Balls Accessories
Parent	Nike, Inc.
Website	www.umbro.com

Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England, and a subsidiary of Nike, Inc.. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment. Its products are sold in over 90 countries worldwide.

History[link]

The company was founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, 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. The brand was bought by American sportswear firm Nike in 2008.

History[link]

The company was founded by Harold Humphreys, along with his brother Wallace in a small workshop in Wilmslow, Cheshire, inspired by the growing interest in football witnessed nationwide. The name comes from Humphreys brothers. Umbro's kit debut was in the 1934 FA Cup final, when both teams Manchester City and Portsmouth wore uniforms designed and manufactured by the company. Other teams supplied by Umbro during the 1930s and 1940s were Sheffield United and Preston North End, Manchester United and Blackpool.

In 1952, the British team at the Summer Olympics wore Umbro kits, tailored for the needs of their individual sports. Umbro would supply kits for the British Olympics team for the next 20 years.

In 1957 Umbro entered to tennis market, producing sports clothing in collaboration with player Teddy Tinling. This collaboration extended for three decades. After his death, it was also discovered that Tinling had worked as a spy for the British government during the Second World War. Other sportsman that collaborated with Umbro was Manchester United manager Matt Busby, in 1959. That same year the company started to sell its "junior boys kits", a set of shirt, shorts and socks that would allow young players to wear the same look as their footballing idols.

Brazil became the first World Cup champion to wear uniforms by Umbro, in 1962. Two years later, Manchester United Scottish player Dennis Law signed an exclusive agreement with the brand, becoming the first footballer to be sponsored by Umbro. England national team won its first title in 1966 wearing kits by Umbro (the deal had been signed in 1954), the same that 15 of the 16 teams, with the only exception of the USSR. At the same time, 85% of British football teams wore uniforms by the company, including the first British team to win a UEFA Champions League in 1967, Celtic Glasgow.

In 1974 Umbro's founder, Harold Humphreys, passed away. His sons John and Stuart took over the running of the company. After more than a decade wearing Admiral kits, the England national team signed with Umbro again in 1984. In 1986 Umbro began to manufacture its own football boots. The company added footballers Alan Shearer and Michael Owen (who was only 14 years old) to its list of sponsored athletes. In 1994 Brazil won its 5th World Cup championship in the United States and club teams Manchester United (in 1999) and AFC Ajax (in 1995) obtained the 1999 UEFA Champions League, all of them wearing Umbro kits.

In 2008 Umbro was bought by American sportswear giant Nike. With the objective of revitalising the brand, Umbro launched the "Tailored by England" lines. As of 4 June 2009, Umbro signed a deal with Manchester City to supply uniforms for the team. Wearing Umbro kits, the City won its first championship in 35 years.^[1]

In May, 2012, Nike Inc. reported that they will be selling Cole Haan and Umbro, in order to focus on their sports brands, including Nike, Converse, Hurley and Jordan.^[2]

Umbro products[link]

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 Adidas, 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-related 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.^[3] On 23 October 2007, it was announced Umbro had agreed to be bought by Nike in a deal worth GB£285 million (US$580 million), 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.^[4] 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 .^{[citation needed]}. 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.^[5] 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'.

Kit manufacturing[link]

Umbro has produced kits for many notable football teams since establishment. Its first kit was produced in 1934, for Manchester City, 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 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.

Business with Football Association[link]

Umbro is currently the official sports manufacturer of the English FA Cup 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.

Other interests[link]

Umbro has also manufactured kits for Athletics and rugby league.

Umbro and United Soccer Leagues[link]

Umbro was the majority owner (94%) of United Soccer Leagues, 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).^[6]

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.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Umbro.com

v t e Nike, Inc. Corporate directors John G. Connors  · Jill Ker Conway  · Tim Cook  · Ralph D. DeNunzio  · Alan B. Graf  · Douglas G. Houser  · Phil Knight  · John C. Lechleiter  · Mark Parker  · Johnathan A. Rodgers  · Orin C. Smith  · John Thompson  · Phyllis M. Wise  · Keith White Assets and products Air Jordan  · Air Melo Line  · Cole Haan  · Converse  · Exeter Brands Group  · Hurley  · Nike Air Max  · Nike Considered  · Nike CTR360 Maestri  · Nike Flywire  · Nike Free  · Nike Golf  · Nike Pro  · Nike Mercurial Vapor  · Nike Shox  · Nike SB  · Swoosh  · Air Force 1  · Team Starter  · Nike Tiempo  · Nike Total 90  · Umbro  · Nike Multi-Turf Miscellaneous Nike Sports Research Lab  · Nike ONE  · Spark Suit Annual revenue: $19.2 billion USD (2.9% FY 2009)  · Employees: 26,500  · Stock symbol: NYSE: NKE · Website: nike.com