Castore Will Be In The Premier League
Apr 9, 2021, by Chris
Update: Castore founder Tom Beahon has confirmed that Castore "will be in the English Premier League" next season. Castore has reportedly signed a deal with Newcastle worth £5million a year to take over the kits from next season.
Castore will have a presence across all of the major European football leagues in the coming months and years
Speaking to City A.M. (London's Business Newspaper), he also talked about other opportunities for Castore while also saying that Castore "will have a presence across all of the major European football leagues".
"We will be in the Premier League and we also will have a presence across all of the major European football leagues in the coming months and years," he told City AM.
"We want to partner with clubs that have a desire to digitise and premium-ise, and are knocking on the door of success," he said.
“We knew we needed to have world class athletes wearing Castore products on the global stage to get the brand visibility and authority.”
New British sports brand Castore is set to land in the English Premier League next season as they are reported to have agreed deals with Newcastle and Wolves. The Co founder of Castore, Tom Beahon, explained in an interview with Forbes what they can offer mid-sized clubs that the big brand can't. With pictures from Soccerbible.
Castore is a Premium Sportswear brand founded by Liverpudlian brothers Phil and Tom Beaton in 2016. In 2019, Castore signed their first kit maker deal with Rangers, replacing Hummel. Castore is also rumored to have prepared / made an offer to AS Roma.
Castore Co Founder Explains What They Can Offer Mid-Sized Teams Big Brand Can't
Castore is not trying and able to land in the Premier League with the help of a large suitcase of money but with other benefits they can offer clubs, including custom designs, less lead time and more royalties of sales.
A big step down at first glance
In example, Wolves' current deal is worth £3 million-a-season (expires in 2022 but is set to be terminated early). The Castore deal is rumored to be worth around £1 million per-season – a big step down at first glance... Tom Beahon, explained in an interview with Forbes how they want to convince clubs.
“We developed and delivered [the] product in less than six months. "Starting with the supply chain, the big brands tend to work on 18 months lead times on partnerships of the size and scale of Rangers, because they're huge oil tankers,” he continued.
“We've got a different mindset, we've got a different supply chain, which is European-centric rather than Far East-centric. [So] we could do something in a far more agile and responsive way that the big brands aren’t capable of.”
It all goes into the big sausage machine, that's how the sector has always worked
The usual commercial deals that clubs make with the brands features a guaranteed yearly fee and a standard royalty on shirt sales, with some incentives built into the arrangement. It is a low-risk in general.
Castore’s agreement with Rangers and possible other deals use an incentivised growth model that benefits both parties should more shirts be sold. It would see both parties sharing the benefits of the growth through an ascending royalty rate, so as agreed revenue targets are hit the club receives a higher royalty percentage.
We developed and delivered Rangers' kit in less than six months
“[The big brands are] very standardised in how they do things. So unless it's Real Madrid, Barcelona [or] Liverpool, they don't really like having to do individual designs for different clubs. We thought there's a really interesting opportunity for a challenger brand like Castore to come in and do things differently.”
“It all goes in into the big sausage machine, that's how the sector has always worked.”
Interestingly, Castore's Rangers kits were not designed not by the brand directly but by freelance designer Emre Gultekin, who already created jerseys for a few other teams before.
“Rangers over the last 15 or 20 years have been with all of the major brands. I can't speak for them, but I suspect that they've received very similar service product offering from those guys. The opportunity to try something different, I think, really appealed to them.”
Concept by Footy Headlines
Castore Partnership - Advantages & Disadvantages For Medium Teams In Contrast To Contracts With Big Brands
Advantages
- Custom designs and more input allowed
- Less lead time (6 months instead 18 months for big brand's big club kits)
- More agile in providing extra amount of kits
- Incentivised growth model that benefits both parties should more shirts be sold
Disadvantages
- More risk than to sign with big brand
- Customers have no experience with the brand and its products
- Less fixed amount of money from deal
- Less experience in general
- Smaller brands do not have big reserves - there is always a risk of bankruptcy
Stay tuned for more about the possible Castore x Premier League deals in the coming weeks.
Do you look forward to seeing Castore in the Premier League? Would you sign with Castore as a medium-sized club? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
OH Leuven 26-27 Away Kit Released
Belgian Pro League club Oud-Heverlee Leuven have officially unveiled their new 2026-27 away kit. Made by Jako, the new shirt introduces a bold dark look for the upcoming domestic campaign.
The Jako OH Leuven 2026-27 away shirt features a black base with deep green vertical stripes and vibrant orange pinstripes running down the body. Dark green detailing appears on the collar and sleeve cuffs, while the Jako logo and club crest are centrally positioned on the chest.
What do you think of the new OH Leuven 2026-27 away kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
New Material for UEFA Champions League Patches?
Based on images from Manchester United's recent posts, it appears that the Starball and UEFA Foundation sleeve patches for the 26-27 UEFA Champions League might be moving away from the traditional velvet material. Instead, they seem to feature a noticeably thinner and flatter composition.
Without high-resolution close-ups, the exact material specifications cannot be fully confirmed just yet.
However, this potential shift remains unconfirmed, as other clubs have not displayed this change. Real Betis, for instance, still appeared with standard velvet-textured patches during their recent 26-27 Champions League portrait photoshoot sessions.
We will have to wait for official confirmation and close-up looks once the competition gets underway. Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the collage.
Almere City 26-27 Cup Kit Released
Dutch club Almere City have officially unveiled their new 2026-27 Cup kit. Made by Craft, the special “HANASAKA!” shirt celebrates the club’s connection with Japan through owner Yanmar and the Yanmar Hanasaka International Youth Cup, an U19 tournament organised by Almere City at the Yanmar Stadion.
The Craft Almere City 2026-27 Cup shirt features a black base with subtle tonal cherry blossom branch motifs across the front. Mint green and pastel pink details add contrast, with a mint crew-neck collar and sponsor branding joined by a pink monochrome club crest, Craft logo and sleeve trims.
What do you think of the new Almere City 2026-27 Cup kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Sutton United 26-27 Third Kit Released
English club Sutton United and kit manufacturer VX3 have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 2026-27 campaign. Themed around the slogan "Where Passion Blooms," the release pays homage to the local area's historic lavender fields and was presented alongside players from the Sutton United Women's squad.
The VX3 Sutton United 26-27 third shirt is predominantly light lavender purple, paired with contrasting dark purple raglan sleeves and a matching polo collar. A monochrome purple club badge sits on the left chest, complemented by dark purple sponsor logos and an embroidered sprig of lavender on the upper back just below the neckline.
The new third kit completes Sutton United's kit set for the 2026-27 season alongside their previously released home and away strips.
Plymouth Argyle 26-27 Third Kit Released
Puma and Plymouth Argyle have officially launched the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. Designed to make a bold visual impact on the pitch, the new strip brings back a vibrant tangerine look for the Pilgrims.
The Puma Plymouth Argyle 2026-27 third jersey combines a vivid orange base with contrasting black trim across the collar, shoulders, and cuffs. The front proudly features a monochrome black version of Argyle's iconic Mayflower crest, accompanied by black Puma cat branding and sponsor detailing from Lighthouse Charity.
The new third kit is available immediately via Argyle's official online store and in-person retail locations.
Catania FC 26-27 Away Kit Released
Italian club Catania FC and technical sponsor Erreà have officially launched their new away kit for the 2026-27 season. Arriving as part of the brand's "COLORI DEI TERRITORI" collection, the release completes the club's full wardrobe for the new campaign following the earlier debuts of their volcanic-themed third and traditional rossazzurri home strips.
The Erreà Catania 2026-27 away shirt is predominantly white, accented with dark grey detailing along the thick V-neck collar, sleeve cuffs, and shoulder trims. Across the front and sleeves, the jersey incorporates a subtle tonal graphic pattern inspired by local Catanese heritage and the city's iconic elephant symbol.
The new Catania FC 26-27 away uniform is completed with matching shorts and socks and is available now through the club's official retail channels.
FC Penafiel 26-27 Away Kit Released
Portuguese Liga Portugal 2 side FC Penafiel have officially launched their new away kit for the 2026-27 season. Produced by Nike, the secondary strip arrives two weeks after the release of the club's traditional red-and-black home jersey.
The Nike FC Penafiel 2026-27 away shirt is predominantly white, highlighted by a classic horizontal chest band in red that is bordered by thin black stripes. A black polo-style collar with a front insert adds a refined touch to the design. The Nike Swoosh and FC Penafiel crest are placed inside the red chest hoop, while the ABANCA sponsor logo appears in black across the midriff.
White shorts with black detailing and white socks round off the clean look of the new FC Penafiel 26-27 away uniform, which is already available to purchase through the club's official channels.
