Rumoured kit supplier for Toon are new boys in their field but have big ambitions in the football market
WITH reports emerging in late October that Castore had a agreed a deal said to be worth around £5m with Newcastle, it appears increasingly likely they will take over the kit deal from Puma this summer. We take a closer look at the new brand.
WHO ARE THEY?
Castore are a premium sportswear brand who entered the market via tennis. They are comparatively young compared to other Premier League kit manufacturers, having been founded by two brothers, Phil and Tom Beahon, from Liverpool in 2016. Interestingly, Phil graduated from Newcastle University in 2014 with a law degree and, in 2017, Castore was launched with the help of a start-up foundership offered by the university’s careers service. Both brothers are in their 30s and were once semiprofessional athletes.
WILL CASTORE BE MANUFACTURING THE 2021-22 NEWCASTLE KIT?
While both Castore and the club have yet to provide any official confirmation, industry experts suggest it’s a formality.
Newcastle’s Puma deal actually expired last summer, but amid the pandemic and Saudi-led takeover speculation they agreed a one-year extension with Puma, who have made Newcastle’s kit since 2010.
In a clear hint of what is to come, last month, Castore’s Tom Beahon said the brand would “be in the Premier League soon”.
£5m A SEASON, IS THAT A GOOD DEAL?
Kit deals are complicated and all different, it’s rarely a one-off flat fee. Often a figure is paid up-front with different mechanics built in, based on minimum orders, percentage of revenue per shirt and more. Some clubs for example receive zero cash. In those cases it’s a supply deal with a percentage split of each shirt sale shared between club and manufacturer.
It’s still possible to estimate what the value of a deal might be based on historical sales. Rumours have set the potential Castore deal at around £5m. Everton’s last deal with Hummel was said to be in the region of £9m, and Newcastle’s last deal with Puma was said to be around the
£6.5m-per-season mark, so this could be another drop in club revenue to add to the losses incurred from a season and a half of empty stadiums due to the pandemic.
IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN MIKE ASHLEY AND CASTORE?
Amid rumours that Mike Ashley was a Castore shareholder, Tom Beahon told Sportsmail in May
2020: ‘’We have investors who like to remain private. Our biggest investor is one of the wealthiest families in the UK. For the record, it’s not Mike Ashley despite some of the things I’ve read online in the last couple of weeks.”
WHICH OTHER CLUB KITS ARE MADE BY CASTORE?
At the minute just Glasgow Rangers, whose kit supply they took over last summer for a price similar to the rumoured Newcastle deal.
However, the brand are ambitious and have plans to establish themselves further in football.
As well as advanced negotiations with Newcastle, Castore are said to be on the verge of inking deals to make the kits of Wolves and, having lost out on a deal with Roma to New Balance, they are currently in dialogue with Napoli and Lazio but only want to secure one deal in Italy.
HAS THE RANGERS DEAL BEEN A SUCCESSFUL ENTRY INTO THE FOOTBALL MARKET?
Yes and no.
There were quality control issues early on after supporters noticed quality differences in kits. It transpired “pro” versions of the shirt, which have a superior finish and feel, were sent to some supporters in error rather than standard replicas which are cheaper and more commonly sold to fans. It caused confusion and Castore issued a statement apologising.
Castore also outsourced the manufacture of a junior lifestyle Rangers sweater in a bid to cope with early demand, this was deemed so low in quality by supporters that Castore withdrew it from sale and issued refunds.
It seems the brand weren’t prepared for demand as a lack of baby kits also irked fans. Things improved, however, with a 200,000 Rangers products sold in the first quarter and the Castore brothers enjoying a good relationship with manager Steven Gerrard.