Kitting Out Pro Clubs: 24/25

Last season we were overwhelmed by the response to the debut kits we supplied to a number of pro clubs. Namely Cambridge United, Carlisle United and AFC Wimbledon who were all kitted out in Umbro for the first time.

It was our first season supplying each of the three clubs with match kit, trainingwear, replica merchandise and everything in between. Sales records were broken and kits went viral. It was a big deal for us. You can read all about it here.

So this season we had a lot to live up to when designing kits for our EFL clubs. This time with the addition of Grimsby Town, who we are delighted to be working with this season.

It went well, perhaps even better than last season. We paid close attention to the unique individual specifications of each club and used our own in-house design expertise to create bespoke kits and training garments. All of which received praise from not only supporters but the wider football community and beyond.

Cambridge United

After a 25% lift on shirt sales for Cambridge United last season, we knew we had to pull out something special to follow that up.

The away and third kits take inspiration from famous historical features within Cambridge. So to continue that theme, the launch of the club’s new kits was enhanced by an on-location photoshoot, utilising the surroundings of the historic city. 

These designs were always going to be a massive success but the shoot took it to a whole new level and created maximum visual impact. Hats off to the Kitlocker.com media team for organising and delivering this. And also to our design team for collaborating with the club on such a stunning set of kits.

Check out how the away kit all came together from start to finish…

Carlisle United

Carlisle United have seen a whopping 74% increase in shirt sales since the beginning of their partnership with Kitlocker and Umbro. The away kit, which was dubbed “the fruit salad kit” became a modern classic.

Their kits sold out in record time. Thankfully thanks to our low minimum order quantities and short lead times, shirts were never out of stock for long. Clubs working with us can be more agile when it comes to stocking their kit for both teamwear and retail purposes throughout the course of the season.

This season our friends from Cumbria wanted to do something special with their home kit, to celebrate 50 years since the club’s first and only season in the top flight of English football. The kit takes inspiration from that historic season and went down brilliantly with fans young and old.

The away kit takes a different inspiration entirely. A member of staff spotted a Carlisle fan sporting an eyecatching jacket at the club’s fanzone. They took a photo, showed it to us and the rest is history!

Once again our media team conducted the shoot for Carlisle’s new set of match kits, this time in the bowels of Brunton Park. It featured current players alongside legends from the 1974/75 season.

AFC Wimbledon

As a club with a very distinct identity, the guys at AFC Wimbledon like to take a lot of ownership of the design process for their kits. And who are we to argue after the success of last season’s efforts? We’re all for it and really enjoy the collaboration. 

Some thoughts from the club’s Head of Brand, Marketing and Comms, Marc Jones:

“Kitlocker allow us to develop unique designs and elements no other manufacturer would indulge or entertain. We feel we are capable of achieving our wildest dreams.

“This season’s away kit is based on a kit from 1894/95 which we have wanted to do for some time – but working with Kitlocker allowed us to land it perfectly.

“Lots of our fans have said “I only usually buy the home kit but I couldn’t choose so I bought all three”. It’s something we’ve heard over and over since switching to Umbro and Kitlocker.

“Many kit heads put our kits in the top 5 of the entire 91 league clubs.”

If the guys at Mundial think a kit design is cool, then you must be doing something right.

Grimsby Town

We were absolutely delighted to announce that we would be supplying The Mariners for the next three seasons.

We were desperate to make sure our first set of kits with them was a success and if the feedback and sales numbers are anything to go by, we think we might have nailed it. 

The club’s shirt sales are up 25% on the previous year, with trainingwear sales up an incredible 400%! The strong training range is spearheaded by the striking retro drill top, inspired by old school Umbro classics.

It also always helps when the club drops the kit launch video of the summer…

Want to learn more?

The guys over at “They Think Kits All Over” have been giving us so much love for our work with our pro clubs this summer. It’s always appreciated when we get such positive feedback, especially from fellow football kit obsessives like them.

They invited us onto their podcast recently to chat through how the kits come to life from start to finish. So to hear more about the process in more detail from Mike Atkin, who heads up the team responsible for so many incredible kits, listen below from about 20 minutes in.

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