Nike Replace Umbro As England Kit Providers, Announce Five-Year Deal

Chris Wright

3rd, September 2012

25 Comments

By Chris Wright

We can but dream…

Nike have announced that they will be replacing Umbro as England kit providers after signing a five-year deal with the FA to do so. As such, the first Nike-designed England shirt will be launched in the spring of 2013, with the partnership running until the summer of 2018.

The blurb tells us that Nike will supply kit and match balls to all of Club England’s 24 football teams at every level, including all the men’s national teams, the women’s teams, England’s Futsal team, the various disabled teams and the England amateur sides.

Nike will be replacing Umbro (a company they owned up until fairly recently), who have been supplying England with kits since the 1950s. It truly is the end of an era.

Our favourite Umbro England kit will always be this svelte little number from 1988 with the asymmetrical cuffs – made from a revolutionary miracle fabric called ‘Tactel’ which, if our replica is anything to go by, is pretty much just plastic muslin…

How about you folks? Care to pick a favourite?

Posted in International football, Kits & fashion

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25 Comments

  1. Has to be the WC2002 shirt with the red stripe – I loved that kit so much!

  2. Ed says:

    1990 World Cup shirt definitely. Gazza’s tears and all that. Iconic.

  3. Lucid says:

    Admiral also made England kits for a while – early 80s I think. Personally find Nike kits a bit boring and ‘samey’.

  4. Ryan Horwood says:

    Admiral 1982 kits the best closely followed by Italia 90 range.
    Italia 90 has decent 2nd and third strip to esp the third light blue one.

  5. Simon says:

    Euro ’96 no doubt

  6. Peter Atkinson says:

    I loved the home kit that was wore at the South African World Cup in 2010. I know some people thought it was a bit ‘plain’, including me initially, but I think it was virtually exactly like I think an England shirt should look like! I think it was a good ‘throw back’ to many England shirts of the past (look at some of them on Internet sites). I thought the above shirt was smart and classic without being over-designed. I think if the shirts are too fancy it takes the attention and emphasis away from the badge/crest. Why oh why did Umbro only keep it for only just over a year?

  7. Joe says:

    2004 Away, with the cross of St George on the shoulders was my favourite

  8. Terry Shedingham says:

    Oh well, at least it’s not Adidas.

    Has to be 2002-2004 away for me, classic design that they never surpassed.

    I always liked that home shirt as well, Chris, but never bought one because it was truly a horrible period for England results-wise.

  9. John Bonini says:

    Am looking forward to the Nike’s Manchester City kit to come soon.

  10. Chief says:

    Nike has owned Umbro since 2008. Not sure how big of a difference this will make.

  11. Peter Atkinson says:

    My favourite is the home kit worn in the 2010 World Cup. I know many people thought when this particular kit first came out that it was a bit boring and plain, including myself, funnily enough, but it rapidly grew on me! I think this kit was really what an England kit should look like; I thought it was a good ‘throw back’ to many older England kits (you can view some of these on certain websites). I thought this kit was simple and classic and very smart. I think some England kits of the past have been way too ‘over-designed’, and I think when this is the case the badge/crest ‘gets lost’ amongst many different splashes of colour. Why oh why this kit was changed after just over a year I just don’t know. I do like some of Nike’s more recent kit designs eg Holland home (2006 World Cup), current France away, current Everton away, current Charlton home, Arsenal home 1998/2000, all of these were smart without being too fancy!

  12. Home World Cup 2010 kit.

  13. My favourite England kit was the Home World Cup 2010 kit. I know some people thought the above kit was a bit plain, myself included, but I have to say it ‘grew’ on me. To me, the above kit is what I think an England kit should look like, NOT over-decorated with red and blue trim. I think with an England kit the badge/crest should ‘stand out’ and not become seemingly lost amongst vast amounts of the red and blue trim. I think the above kit was smart and classic, and with the slightly ‘off white’ colour, I think the above kit was a good ‘throwback’ to many past England kits. Why oh why did Umbro change it after only just over a year? I think NIKE have produced some good designs in more recent times e.g. Holland Home WC 2006, current France Away/Everton Away, Arsenal 1998/2000, 2006/2008, 2010/2011.

  14. pat says:

    i really enjoyed their most recent white euro kit

  15. Ramirez says:

    World Cup 2002, I love it, great shirts (home and away)- Beckham’s era.
    England = Umbro, that’s a fact! Umbro is not just a brand, Umbro is lifestyle… The end of an era :-/ Why England why? Nike?- wtf! :)

  16. Ramirez says:

    World Cup 2002 (home and away), I love it, great kits- Beckam’s era.
    Umbro is not just a brand, Umbro is lifestyle! Why England why? Nike? WTF! :) The end of an era… :(

  17. Terry Shedingham says:

    @Ramirez
    I understand what you mean about a Nike-designed England kit not seeming quite ‘right’, but Umbro a “lifestyle”? Do you work for them?

  18. Terry Shedingham says:

    Did Nike use the money they got from selling Umbro to outbid it on the contracts it had? Manchester City and now England…I hope this doesn’t spell the end for Umbro

  19. Zeben3v16 says:

    I Love Umbro…I feel so sad!I dont think Nike will match the qality

  20. Al says:

    Anyone think that maybe Nike didn’t sell all of Umbro’s contracts when they sold the company? Maybe Man City and England weren’t part of the deal?

  21. Yankee says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong Chris but Nike announced that it was selling Umbro this summer but it hasn’t been sold yet

  22. Yankee says:

    Chris, I think Nike still owns Umbro. Up for sale since summer, no buyers yet.

  23. Terry Shedingham says:

    Ah well, at least if we’re lucky the new kit next year will still be in time for a St George’s cross-inspired gingham’s design

  24. Bob Charlton says:

    The way Nike have treated UMBRO is disgusting. Bought the brand because they missed out on the England deal and now are raping them of all their kit deals and dumping them. UMBRO formed in 1924 a classic Mancunian and English brand destroyed by a the corporate fat cats from Nike. First Reebok then Umbro, slowly one by one all our British brands destroyed by the Americans and zee Germans. Next years Man City kits and England kits will be shite – look at the tarton monstrosity United are playing in this year – designed by fat chumps who don’t give a crap about football or should I say soccer??? Very sad day for Umbro and Manchester – 100’s of jobs under threat. The F.A and the governmnet should be ashamed – building a legacy for UK sport my arse.

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