The End of Umbro?

They are one of the iconic outfitters in world football. As Canterbury of New Zealand is to rugby, Umbro is to football particularly in the United Kingdom.

The Manchester-born company has had a long association with football since its formation in 1924, having been the England team's long time clothing supplier since the 1950s bar a few years in the 1970s and early 1980s when Admiral was the team's preferred choice - funny how that time coincided with one of the England's team most fallow periods in international football.

Jack Charlton and his World Cup heroes proudly wore Umbro

Gazza cries into his Umbro at the 1990 World Cup

However, with the football clothing business now pretty much a two horse race between Nike and Adidas, Umbro has struggled to keep up, and in fact were taken over by Iconix Brands in 2008, the same company that owns Nike.

Nike tried in vain to revitalize the Umbro brand but it appears to have given up in that effort, taking over sponsorship of Premier League champions, Manchester City and the goose that laid the golden egg, the England national football team.

Umbro is set to be sold to another company keen to have a go at reviving the brand. However, with more clubs and national FAs leaving - Sweden is the latest to end its association with Umbro, signing a deal with Adidas, Umbro could fail to see its centenary; a huge shame for a brand that has done so much for the growth of football as a global game and business.

England will don the Nike swoosh probably for the first time during the resumption of World Cup qualifiers in March meaning that England's friendly against Brazil on Wednesday night will probably be the last time we see the iconic Umbro and Three Lions logos together - apt I guess considering it is also the FA's 150th anniversary.

Umbro's sad demise is a sign of the very rich but cut-throat business that football has become. Umbro has sadly failed to match the technological advances in quality and production as well as aggressive marketing strategies that Adidas and Nike have pioneered and become so successful at - let's admit it, how many of us would rather wear the German Three Stripes or Nike Swoosh over Umbro in recent times?

Sunderland and Swansea - both former Umbro clients snapped up by Adidas

Look at the Premier League this season - how many teams actually wear Umbro compared to Nike or Adidas? Only champions, Manchester City and Southampton still carry the Umbro brand as of this season. Former clients, Swansea and Sunderland have eventually gone to Adidas in the last few seasons - rumour has it that West Ham - another former Umbro client - too may be joining the German revolution.

As mentioned earlier, Nike will take over clothing Manchester City meaning the Americans will finally have total control of Manchester in Umbro's birth city - Manchester United were of course sponsored by Umbro for a long time including during that memorable treble season of 1998/99.

Umbro clothed Manchester United during its epic treble season in 1998/99. Nike took over sponsorship in 2002.

Umbro's demise is a bit like its fellow Mancunian, Reebok. Reebok has also seen its influence on world sport steadily decline especially following its takeover by Adidas in 2005; climaxing possibly with the loss of its deal with the NFL to cloth all 32 teams to Nike. Even hometown club, Bolton Wanderers is now sponsored by Adidas.

Alas, this is the nature of business - a tale of survival of the fittest. Sadly Umbro may not last the fight for long. However, even in its demise, Umbro should be cherished as a brand that Nike and Adidas should attribute its current success too - without Umbro, we wouldn't have the multi-million dollar football replica jersey business which has really made football rich.