FAI strike a Balance as Umbro kit deal comes to an close
UMBRO’s 23-year association as the Republic of Ireland kit sponsors is over.
From August, Irish teams will wear gear supplied by the Bostonbased New Balance.
The switch will see parents shelling out €50 for a new Irish jersey for their kids – the current jersey was only launched in March 2016 ahead of the Euro Championship finals.
The Irish distributors for New Balance are Dublin sportswear firm Toplion, who hold the Irish Umbro licence and whose contract as kit provider to the FAI runs until August 2020.
The change in kit supplier midway through World Cup qualification has been approved by the FAI hierarchy and a formal announcement is expected shortly.
It will mean the Umbro logo appearing on the Republic of Ireland jerseys for the final time in the June 11 qualifier with Austria.
Umbro replaced Adidas as FAI gear supplier after the 1994 World Cup finals and their kit sponsorship is the third longest in international football after Germany and the Netherlands.
New Balance branched into football in 2010 through its subsidiary company, Warrior, and currently supplies gear for Liverpool, Celtic and Shamrock Rovers.
Umbro, owned by the Iconix Brand Group, are kit suppliers for Everton and West Ham United along with St Patrick’s Athletic and Waterford in the League of Ireland and they also sponsor the FAI Junior, Intermediate and Youths Cup.
The end of the UmbroRepublic of Ireland alliance is likely to have repercussions for Umbro’s other Irish commitments.