British sportswear brand Admiral has recently acquired new British owners, a move that will see the rejuvenation of the brand across Europe. The new owners are Admiral Sportswear Limited, a special purpose vehicle established to acquire the rights to the Admiral brand for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The move sees Managing Director Jonathan Hamburger heading up the new Admiral Sportswear Limited business and the appointment of former Umbro, JD Fashion and West Bromwich Albion executive Tim Gardiner as Sales & Marketing Director.The plans include the introduction of three product collections for Admiral; Football Performace for the pro and amateur markets, Admiral 'Gold' a brand new fashion concept and Lifestyle, including retro-inspired 'back catalogue' Admiral products, drawing on designs from the 70’s and 80’s.
Originally established in Leicester as Cook & Hurst, the Admiral business was incorporated in 1914, when the company designed and manufactured underwear for the Armed Forces. Through its life, the Admiral brand has been worn by many teams including Manchester United, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur among others. Admiral was also the first sports brand logo to appear on the England national football team kit.
