Admiral partners Forever Collectibles to make retro football team kits

British sportswear brand Admiral, which famously sponsored and supplied kits to a number of top flight football clubs in the 70s and 80s, including the England national team, has entered a new strategic licensing partnership with Forever Collectibles.

The deal sees Forever Collectibles (FOCO), a global leader in officially licensed sports merchandise and accessories, granted the rights to produce and distribute a select number of Admiral retro football products, celebrating many of Admiral’s iconic club kits from the brand’s storied past in the UK and European football market.

The new license agreement adds to Admiral’s growing licensing portfolio and represents a significant growth initiative as the brand broadens its reach across the fanwear and lifestyle market.

The range will include retro football shirts and track jackets inspired by Admiral’s archive. It will be made available through official club stores, as well as via the Admiral Sports and FOCO websites.

Theo Hamburger, Head of Sales and Marketing at Admiral Sportswear, said: "This partnership is about more than nostalgia, it's about moving forward and allowing us to continue to celebrate our legacy while building new connections with fans.

"Forever Collectibles knowledge and licence portfolio in the global football market makes them the ideal partner to bring these iconic pieces back."

Paul Hodgson, Managing Director at FOCO Europe, added: "The partnership is a significant moment for FOCO, as we grow at pace and scale into the retro sector.

"We look forward to working with the Admiral team, developing a ’stitch for stitch’ product against the extensive and significant Admiral catalogue, providing the consumer with the ultimate retro product in terms of quality, value and nostalgia."

Launching initially with an agreed selection of UK and European clubs, as yet to be confirmed, the collection will grow in the coming years.

It was the 1973/74 football season that Leeds United wore the first visibly branded kit in the English top flight, made by Admiral. Realising the potential of the replica kit market, Admiral then brokered a deal with the Football Association in 1974 to produce the first commercially available England shirt that featured a sportswear manufacturer’s logo.

It wasn’t long before Admiral then struck deals to make kits for the likes of Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Luton Town, Coventry City and many more.

The deal with the FA saw Admiral supply England with kit up to the 1982 World Cup, when perhaps one of its most iconic shirt designs was created for the national team – and army of fans.

FOCO now has an impressive back catalogue to draw from, with many of Admiral’s designs bringing a new flamboyance to the football kit market for the first time over 50 years ago.