Consumer retailer JJB buys 10% of Umbro

10/10/07

A bastion of consumer sportswear retailing, JJB Sports, has announced that is has purchased ten point one percent of Umbro. Umbro are one of the UK's most successful sportswear manufacturers.

Umbro currently make the kit for the England football team. Umbro are based in Cheadle, Manchester, England. Umbro have a long history of supplying sportswear for the England team. The connection dates back to nineteen fifty four.

Admiral manufactured the England kit from 1974-84, but since 1984, Umbro have been the only manufacturer of the England strip. In the past, Umbro have also made kits for Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City football clubs.

As a consumer brand, Umbro have been one of the most recognised brands for UK football kits. In recent years they have been pushed out of making club kits, due to increased competition from brands such as Nike, Puma, Adidas and Reebok.

JJB Sports are not the first consumer sports retailer to buy a stake in Umbra, Sports Direct already own a fifteen percent stake. Rumour has it that Nike is planning a takeover of Umbro.

JJB Sports currently operate over two hundred and fifty stores in the UK. The company was started by Dave Whelan, a former footballer who now owns the Premier League club Wigan Athletic.

Which?, the consumer magazine, did issue legal proceedings against JJB Sports. Which? claimed that JJB had fixed prices for Manchester United and England football shirts from the year 2000 to 2001.