Admiral launches ’50 Years of the Replica Shirt’ exhibition at the National Football Museum
British sportswear brand Admiral, which introduced and sold the first-ever replica football kits for the 1973-74 season – with Leeds United as its first team – has just launched an exhibition at the National Football Museum in Manchester in celebration.
The ’Admiral 50 Years of the Replica Shirt’ exhibition coincides with the launch of a coffee table-style book of the same name designed by Glory Studio, which has also curated the exhibition space.
Rather than featuring vintage football shirts, the exhibition focuses on newly commissioned photography, archive video and images, and original shirt design sketches.
Theo Hamburger, who acquired Admiral Sportswear Limited in 2010 and is also the Head of Sales and Marketing at Admiral, said: "The brand was actually founded in Leicester in 1914 and started making undergarments for the British Navy.
"Admiral is now based in Manchester and, with over 110 years of proud history, it is a great honour to be able to collaborate with the National Football Museum - the heart of football storytelling in the UK.
"Many of the most important football shirts since Admiral invented the replica football kit market 50 years ago will be discussed in this exhibition, exploring design and development. These pieces are important parts of both football tradition, culture and design."
Lee Nash of Glory Studio added: "Admiral is a cult brand – the England ’82 shirt is still worn with pride on Euros and World Cup terraces today, so it’s an absolute privilege to help celebrate the huge impact the brand has had in pioneering the replica shirt market.
"From the early Leeds shirt to the stunning (and much more recent) William Morris-inspired Walthamstow FC kit, Admiral keeps reinventing itself – it's been so exciting to document it and it's amazing to see these stories and images all in one place."
The National Football Museum is located in the Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, on Todd Street in Manchester, and the exhibition is running until 15 September 2024.
