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Who on Earth are Warrior Sports? Liverpool’s Next Shirt Supplier

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On Friday, it was revealed that Liverpool will be signing a new kit deal with American firm Warrior Sports when their current supplier’s contract with Adidas expires in 2012/13. The biggest revelation from the deal is that the Reds will be getting £25m a year, taking over Manchester United’s deal with Nike (£23m a year) as the biggest kit supplier deal in British football.

Liverpool are currently the fourth largest replica shirt sellers in the world, with 900,000 sold per year, only trailing behind Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Reds deal with Warrior Sports will be the first football shirt deal for the American company, who are little known outside of the United States.

So who are Warrior Sports? There were set up in the 1992 by former champion Lacrosse player David Morrow. Since, they have been at the forefront of new Lacrosse equipment and jerseys, becoming the first supplier to develop titanium shafts for Lacrosses sticks. They eventually branched out into Hockey, but they have yet to breakthrough into any other sports.

So how, you may ask, could they afford to outbid global giants Adidas for the right to make Liverpool replica shirts? In 2004, they were taken over by American Sportswear firm New Balance. New Balance have been going since the early 1900s, and are most famous in the US for developing footwear for athletes. New Balance grew steadily as a company and is now worth over $1billion, which is still only a tenth of the size of both Nike and Adidas. The American company, in addition to acquiring Warrior, has also bought out Dunham, PF Flyers, Aravon and Brine Sporting Goods.

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27 comments

  • ScouseAtHeart says:

    I won’t believe this story until there is official confirmation from the club. Largely because I checked out their products on their website and their apparel looks terrible! Plus, judging from their website and the style of their goods, their image doesn’t suit that of LFC at all. I hope Adidas comes in with a bigger and better offer and we decide to stick with them. Before the story in the Guardian I had never heard of Warrior which probably means it will be a nightmare trying to get hold of LFc merchandise in South Africa.

    • ScouseUK says:

      so say addias only offer half do we stay with then just cause warriors style isnt right and might not suit lfc,have you seen there football shirts,nope cause they dont do it….25 million a season signs you a top player,for me that is far more important than what a kit looks like….

      oh and its piss easy to get hold of lfc merchindise in south africa,iam from liverpool and all my family live in and around joberg,they all have up to date lfc shirts and other merchindise….

      also with the new rules coming into force this deal is best all round for lfc,because were earning more we can spend more that =s a better liverpool

    • jc says:

      agreed!!!!! this is worse then hearing we are switching to nike!

  • Sean says:

    keep adidas forever!!!

  • The Cake says:

    They are giving us 25m A year instead of 12m!!!!!

    Why are people complaining! Great business, well done Fenway…

  • philC says:

    My first reaction was ” oh no! No more Adidas” but then after I thot carefully my 2nd reaction is ” why not be different”. I mean Adidas also sponsored other epl teams as well, the design of the kits looks similar to other epl teams. But if this Warrior guys comes w completely different style for our kits and their design do looks better then why not be differrent

  • Russells Teapot says:

    This means a Suarez every year, rather than an Albert Riera.

    I’ll take that.

  • David says:

    Who cares what the kit looks like as long as it’s red and were getting 25m I don’t care

  • Paul says:

    Brilliant news, right now the club is generating some awesome funds. Just what we need with us having a smaller stadium than some rivals. We now have record breaking sponsor and Kit design! The kit will still be red and designed like a footie kit som whats the probs?!

  • J J says:

    Hopefully Adidas will buy Warrior Sports like they did Reebok! Adidas name is up there with Liverpool in BRAND names step backwards in trying to sell shirts understand if Warrior Sports were big in NBA or NFL but Lacrosse!

  • robert says:

    adidas are currently paying liverpool less than half of what warrior sports is going to pay. This is a great business by the new owners, it will free up more funds and hopefully get us back up there amongst the top

    Considering its liverpool FC, warrior will know that we sell a lot of shirts so it will be available everywhere around the world. That is just commonsense

    My only concern is whether the kit will actually look nice…

  • Anthony says:

    Weve always been a adidas club, did you see their advert! and i think fenway looking for naming partners for new anfield and doing this is not our club but selling out! Stripes are best!

    • Paul says:

      Always been an Adidas club, what about Reebok pinhead. 25 mill is all that matters. It will help us buy better players and compete with the top teams. Idiots like you are so naieve. Get a grip, your nit a real supporter!

  • Max Runacres says:

    WE GET £25 A YEAR !!! MORE THAN MAN UTD GET FROM NIKE !!! I’M NOT COMPLAINING !!! AS LONG AS THEY GET A NICE KIT I THINK IT’S A GOOD DECISION !!!

  • Worrier? says:

    If there’s one thing that the Americans understand it’s marketing.This is a great move for both parties. Warrior get global advertising and a 1 million unit contract.Liverpool get a world class player per season and a totally original kit designer.Why would anyone assume it to be an inferior product simply because they are a smaller company ? Wouldn’t that mean that the product would have to be better to compete and stand out as Adidas are a respected and established brand.I do quite like some of the adidas designs but a new era should demand positive change.This is definitely positive. Hopefully it won’t be made in sweatshops in the 3rd world ! although I’m probably being naive to suggest otherwise.(Hopefully not though)

  • Worrier? says:

    Would you rather a Tesco suit or an Armani ?

  • Mikey says:

    Well i dunno when this is gonna come in but it’s not next season as they’ve released the new adidas away kit on the official website for 11/12 season, so whether this is true or not we’ll have to see!

  • Jason says:

    I have been using Warrior ice hockey equipment in the uk for a couple of years now, it has been better than any of the big companys stuff. Their clothing lines are great too and very popular with the youger generation. I’m all for it, makes us different, as Addidas seem to use the same designs with other teams. Chelsea’s shirts always look similar to ours just in blue!!

  • CW says:

    You can whine about the kits IF you don’t like them when they’re revealed. The money is what matters, more cash to reinvest, especially if the fair play rules are enforced. It’s not as if Warrior will design them without any input from LFC and many many other people.

  • kris says:

    few reasons we should not change.
    although we get more money through sponsorship, believe me there are surely some people who buy liverpool shirts because it’s… adidas. liverpool shirts woouldn’t sell that well if it is made by warrior sports or whatever.

    and also it’s not good for the image of football club. look like a club that is chasing money over… shirts sponsorship. what other clubs do that?? big clubs don’t do that. they all are either nike or adidas. because these two are simply the best and best football clubs should use best brands.

    this whole warrior sports sponsorship is like queen wearing some bilabong t shirts cuz of getting money…. seriously don’t be so money hungry over few millions.

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