When the fuk did we turn into Germany? That new kit is a disgrace, there's no way I'll be buying the kids that.

I'm sorry but that just looks sh*t.

It's not a bad looking kit, but it doesn't look like a English kit.

They're bringing them out way too often, bit of a joke now

Looks not unlike the kit from 1999 to 2001.

Something is incredibly wrong about England dropping Umbro and being sponsored by Nike.

 

Glad their first kit has been panned by everyone. 

It's not so much that they're 'dropping' Umbro, Nike themselves own Umbro and are actually phasing the brand out in preparation for selling it, they're transitioning old Umbro teams to Nike kits before they do so.

 

That, in of itself, is outrageous. Buy an iconic brand, keep up the pretence of caring about it only to take over all of it's sponsorship deals, gut it of said sponsorship deals, and sell it on to someone mad enough to pay for a brand bereft of any clubs to kit out.

 

If that doesn't constitute a 'hostile' takeover, I don't know what does.

 

edit: Upon further research, I've discovered that the deed has already been done and that they sold the brand off in December. I'm still certain that my description of events rings true, and that the high profile Umbro clubs and nations were 'induced' to switch to Nike, but I stand to be corrected if anyone has a better grasp on the situation that I.

Edited June 12, 201313 yr by Lofty 1905

I remember that Umbro had come under Nike control for a while Lofty, and I am sure your assessment is exactly what they had in mind when they got the company, but it still stinks to see a great and iconic sporting brand given the short end of the stick like that.

 

I will say, Umbro have by far the most consistently quality kits, aesthetically, so I hope that their parent company can use better design and improved financial backing to get them among the big companies once again. Puma seems to be doing it right now, so I dont think its that far fetched.

 

Also, this was an excellent parting shot from Umbro.

 

Indeed, looking at their list of European clubs now is just sad.

 

 

Umbro torch bearers are derided in some circles for being old hat, but they can sod off. Umbro IS football, you can't beat the original brand