DOUBLE DIAMOND

AUTHOR ALEX IRELAND DETAILS HOW SPORTSWEAR FIRM UMBRO BECAME PART OF FOOTBALL HISTORY ACROSS THE GLOBE

- ALEX IRELAND

ICONIC sportswear brand Umbro had modest beginnings, operating initially from a cupboard in the Bull's Head pub in Mobberley run by the founders' parents.

Harold Charles Humphreys and his brother Wallace registered Humphreys Bros Limited as a company on May 23, 1924. The 'Umbro' brand, a contraction of the firm's name (hUMphrey BROthers), emerged shortly afterwards.

Umbro grew rapidly in the postWar sporting boom, emerging on the professional football scene at the 1934 FA Cup Final as they supplied both finalists. Twenty-five days short of a decade since Harold registered the company, King George V presented the cup to Manchester City's captain Sam Cowan, who was dressed head-to-toe in Umbro.

This was the first of 42 consecutive FA Cup finals, running until 1982, at which at least one side would participate wearing the company's kit. Umbro teams soon added the First Division (Manchester City, 1937), Scottish Cup (Celtic, 1937) and Scottish First Division (Celtic, 1938) to complete a clean sweep of major domestic honours.

On November 10, 1954, England wore Umbro kit for the first time, becoming the last of the Home Nations to do so.

Having become dominant in their home market, under the leadership of Harold's son, John, Umbro looked to develop internationally. By the early 1950s its international network included agents in Canada, the West Indies, southern Africa, China, India and Australia.

A Brazil side featuring 17-year-old Pele claimed Umbro's first World Cup in 1958, a feat they repeated in 1962 and 1970. England added a third in 1966 as half the competition's teams appeared in the company's strips.

That season also saw Real Madrid secure the first of three consecutive European Cup trophies by Umbro teams.

Celtic's Lisbon Lions (1967) were followed by 1968 winners Manchester United managed by Matt Busby, who had featured for Manchester City in the 1934 FA Cup final.