Ireland to Sign Castore Deal & Release All-New Logo
Update: Football Association of Ireland (FAI) CEO Jonathan Hill has confirmed that Ireland will get a new logo. Meanwhile, he "refused" to confirm that a deal with Castore has been agreed. The new Ireland logo would be part of attempts to create a fresh identity.
FAI CEO refused to confirm the Castore deal
"The deal we’ve done with a new kit supplier is of a magnitude and with a company we believe will transform how we interact with fans and customers, that’s important for finances," said Hill.
via Uplift (Robert Duggan White)
"It’s a very positive deal. We won’t tell you the numbers when we announce it but it’s transformational. Their product and kit will help us in terms of conversations with prospective men’s senior team title sponsors."
November 2022: Ireland to Sign Castore Deal - New Crest Also on the Way?
The Irish Examiner report that Castore will replace Umbro as Ireland's new kit supplier.
Ireland to Sign Castore deal
Last month the FAI terminated their contract with JACC Sports, who had been providing them with Umbro kits (and New Balance from 2017-2020) for 28 years. The move came as a shock but it has since emerged that failure to make payments was behind the decision. Castore were touted as a potential replacement from the start and an announcement confirming them as the new technical sponsor should be made in the coming weeks.
Some of Castore's 22-23 club shirts.
Castore have grown rapidly in the football kit market, starting with only Rangers in the 20-21 season, they now make kits for 12 clubs across Europe. The Ireland deal marks their first foray into international kits, but the general reaction to the news amongst Irish fans has been negative. Although the brand is growing rapidly, there have been a significant number of quality issues with their jerseys, while their designs have also proven largely unpopular.
Ireland's last shirts from Umbro.
Ireland will wear their Umbro shirts for the last time in their friendly matches next week, with the first Castore efforts likely to be debuted in February.
New FAI Crest On The Way?
The Examiner say that "a broader brand redesign is in the offing", which seems to suggest that the FAI crest will be updated. The current version is a variation on the badge that was introduced in 2004 and tweaked a number of times since then. A reversion to one of their previous crests, from 1985 and 1990 respectively, would go down well with supporters, but would be a surprising move from the FAI.
Ireland also wore this shamrock crest on their kits from the 60s through to the mid 80s.
Do you think Castore will do a good job on Ireland's kits? Comment below.
