Umbro to make Hearts shirts in 2007/08

Umbro will manufacturer Hearts shirts for the next two seasons after they secured a two year commercial kit deal with the Edinburgh based club.

There will be a new home & away kit each season, in what is the biggest deal in Heart’s history, they will receive a seven figure amount each year. The shirts will be unique designs for the club and not from a more general template that some other manufacturers have used recently in their kit designs.

This third time that Umbro have been in partnership with Hearts on their club shirts, the last time was back in 1986, Roman Romanov, Hearts Chairman said;

“We are delighted to have agreed such a partnership with Umbro. This deal will allow us to take our retail operations on to the next level, supported, in particular, by re-introducing our own exclusive replica kit merchandise rights in the UK.”

“We expect to benefit from Umbro’s extensive global retail marketing experience and look forward to developing a very strong relationship which can only benefit our supporters.”

“Umbro is a company with a remarkable global heritage, and an extensive sporting presence both at club and international level, and with our own extensive ambitions we believe both businesses will benefit in the next two years from this deal.”

Simon Marsh, Umbro’s director of football said:

“It is with great pleasure that we have now added Heart of Midlothian to our international portfolio of contracted teams.

“In the past 18 months we have worked hard to implement our strategy of creating geographical representation within the United Kingdom. To add Hearts is fantastic news for the brand as it provides Umbro with a platform in Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh.

“Umbro look forward to partnering the Club as they strive towards domestic success and a greater profile within European football.”

The new away shirt is expected in June and the home shirt will be out in July 2007, which will mean they will be out in time for you to wear on your summer holiday.

The money from the shirt deal looks set to be put towards expansion of their Tynecastle Stadium.

The unpredicatable nature of club owner Roman Romanov may well have been a factor in Umbro deciding to go with the deal, whilst the club are on the rise, they also get more exposure in the press than most clubs for non-football related matters.