This is probably the least of the Perth Glory’s worries at the present time, but next season all of the A League clubs can choose their own apparel sponsor as the A League’s deal with Reebok comes to an end.
The Perth Glory have by all accounts spoken to a number of companies with a decision due to be announced in due course. They have apparently rejected respected football brands such as Umbro and Puma and plumped for a brand that we have been advised is big in the sport that we don’t mention, Blades.
This seems a strange choice once again, unless of course they are ploughing dollars into the club. Which will hopefully be revealed when the announcement is made. Umbro would have been an understandable brand to use here in Perth with so many ex pat British resident in Western Australia. They have been the supplier to the English and Irish team for a number of years. With over 40% of the population of Western Australia being first or second generation British and of these 18% Irish (Figures drawn from article in The Australian newspaper) it would have appeared a logical decision.
John, This was not meant to be a comment re ethnicity. British football fans wear their teams strips as a fashion item, and when you are doing that, the label is a factor.
These are trusted brands to the football fraternity, and I would expect sales of a trusted brand to far exceed those of a relatively unknown one.
It does after all come down to merchandising, and if you have a brand that is going to sell more than another on reputation, then it has to be considered.
Agreed, if the strip is a good one that could make my argument totally irrelevant, but purple is not everyon’e cup opf tea.
Sorry Ash, I have to disagree here, at least in principle.
I have no idea about the commercial arrangements between the Glory and their uniform supplier, but does it honerstly matter. Does a really bad strip made by Umbro beat a good one made locally or from a lesser known maker.
Now lets extrapolate those stats shall we. Perth, for arguement, population 1 million. 40% Poms(sorry, Irish, and Scotish) thats 400 000. Now even if the Glory were drawing 16 000 a week, and all of them Poms, that is still only 3% of the 40% you quote. So now we go population 1million, attendance 16 000 (and you know I am being generous), thats 1.6% of the population. Of that 40% are ‘Poms’, or 6 400 people. Thats, 9 600 people who are not in that 40%
Granted that supporter base does go beyond attendance, do you still think these figures support choosing a uniform supplier on the basis of ethnicity is warrented. I thought those were the old days of the NSL.