Professionalism and kit

[kuzza]

Professionalism. The word pops up all the time. We sell players who we would have kept on years ago because of "professionalism". We have to be more commercial as a club because of "professionalism". So on and so forth.

I understand this, I think most fans do. I also think the club does a great job of maintaining its heritage and keeping a traditional, community ethos whilst balancing this against the needs of a modern, top-flight club.

However, why do we persist with Cotton Traders? The shirts aren't great. The associated merchandise is terrible (although I doubt Cotton Traders make it, it certainly doesn't have their branding).

With the Leicester Tigers brand, surely a provider with a swoosh or three stripes or some sort of small wild cat could provide us with better kit and merchandise? Merchandise people are more likely to buy and wear. Merchandise with decent materials and a decent cut.

I think the time has come to cut loose from Cotton Traders and embrace a more professional kit range. Anyone else agree?

[Hull Fan]

Yeah, Cotton Traders seem to offer poor choice and limited ranges of products.

I wonder how long we are contracted to them for and when it's due to be reviewed?

[Longshanks]

However, why do we persist with Cotton Traders?

Look at the provenance of the Cotton Traders firm and the composition of the Tigers board.

http://www.englandrugbyphotostore.com/p ... ining.html

[westy154]

This question crops up every once in a while. Whilst Nike and Adidas would provide good kit and merchandising etc, they will only offer set patterns. We would end up with a far less original and unique shirt.

[kuzza]

We went with Caterpillar after years with Aggregate. We're getting new sponsors in, we should get a new kit sponsor in.

In terms of the uniqueness, that's disappearing anyway for various reasons - the requirement for a light kit and a dark kit (requiring an emphasis on the green over the red and white), for example.

Also, if we want to fill a big stadium for every home game, we're going to need the help of a big kit supplier to help get our merchandise out to a wider audience. We need to drag fans in from across the Midlands and probably further up North too.

I want to see Tigers shirts on sale in every JJB or JD Sports in Birmingham. I want to see a Tigers polo shirt on sale in sports shops in Meadowhall. I want to see an away match at Sale that sees as many Tigers supporters come from Liverpool as they do from Leicester.

[JWM]

Cotton Traders is fine. They perhaps just need to widen the range of stuff, which in fact they're already doin g.

I can buy Tigers shirts on Ely High Street. God preserve us from JD Sports. Has no-one heard of the internet? You can get Tigers' gear from 101 different places, including eBay if you want.

One of the biggest moans is Tigers going TOO corporate as it is. Do we want to go even more corporate?

Nike quality is complete c*rap. Canterbury has folded. Kooga is only any good if you're built like an athlete. None of them has the range of gear of CT.

[me2]

Yes this has been discussed repeatedly in the past & the reasons explained:

1. Cotton Traders is part-owned by Next. Next are still a significant sponsor. If we drop CT, we will lose lots of money from Next.

2. CT give us the design that we want. Nike/Adidas force their standard designs on the teams they provide kits for. Do you want a Leicester Tigers kit or do you want Nike's choice of kit in Tigers colours. Tigers are NOT powerful enough to push back on Nike & decide their own kit design. If England & SA couldn't do it, what makes you think Tigers could?

3. The club have previously been in discussions with Nike & Adidas over the possibility of them supplying our kit. Apparently Nike & Adidas wanted to be paid by Tigers for the honour of us being allowed to be supplied with their kit! Hardly a wise business decision is it?

[Gate]

They sell Tigers shirts in Carnaby Street, y'know. Dedicated followers of fashion.

[kuzza]

Thanks for the info re: previous discussions.

My response would be that you cannot solely market online. You need a high street presence.

Re: CT and Next, I think linking kit and sponsorship is a hindrance, we should seek out other sponsors who might want to takeover if there is no movement from Next.

Re: standard kit patterns. I haven't said they'd change them for us. I accept they won't, but also think kits are increasingly monotonous due to competition requirements, etc. I don't see it as an issue.

Re: paying for Nike or Adidas. You need to invest to get market access.

We're building a big stadium. We're doing it presumably because we think we'll be able to fill it. To do that, we need more fans than we have. To get them, we need to market in a way that we don't at the moment. We're certainly not going to get the average teenager to put on a Cotton Traders shirt.

Finally, re: Carnaby Street. You can but you can't get it in Neal's Yard and the surrounding streets which is where the hip cats now go (or so I'm led to believe...).

[Gate]

Admittedly I was only in Carnaby Street to buy some studs...

I actually think the kit's OK, but I would agree that the lee-zhur wear is pretty dull in the main. But what I'd go for big-time is a proper retro Leicester FC shirt, no sponsor's logos, just the old embroidered badge. I had several over the years, but knacked them all one way or another, and they just don't seem to be available even on fleabay these days.

[Hot_Charlie]

Anybody seen the appalling quality of the last England shirt, with its abysmal stick on embroidery, and in the case of the RWC shirt printed RWC sticker (and the marginal improvement this time around). Why we'd want Nike to give us such rubbish I don't know.

Nothing wrong with CT.

[Kinoulton]

They sell Tigers shirts in Carnaby Street, y'know. Dedicated followers of fashion.

That gives me an idea for an away shirt:

"One week he's in polka dots, the next week he's in stripes,
Cos he's a dedicated follower of fashion."

Polka dots, eh?

[Bill W (2)]

Polka dots, eh?

Red and Green polka dots on a whte background?

[Hot_Charlie]

Polka dots, eh?

Red and Green polka dots on a whte background?

Sounds like a snazzy Biarritz shirt. Gets my vote!