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the English sportswear brand Umbro was founded in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 1920 under the name 'Humphrey Brothers Clothing', four years later the company was renamed Umbro, a shortened version of it's previous name.

Umbro's first big break in business came in 1925 when the British goverment chose Umbro as supplier of physical training kit for the armed forces which in turn led to the brand switching from manufacturing sportswear to producing army clothing when the second world war broke out.

although Umbro manufacture a variety of sportswear, casual clothes and shoes they specialise in, and are mostly associated with, the sport of football. Since the production of it's first kit for Manchester City in their 1934 FA Cup winning year it has produced football kits, training gear and other clothing for many other teams. Some of the more famous wearers of Umbro have been Tottenham Hotspur, in their 60's league and cup double winning season, Manchester United, in their 90's treble winning season, Liverpool in four of their European Cup winning seasons, Brazil, in four of their World Cup winning years and of course England in their victorious 1966 World Cup finals. It was during the 1966 World Cup Finals in England that an amazing 15 out of the 16 countries playing in the finals did so in Umbro kit.

Umbro's first football boot was introduced in the mid 80's in Brazil, since which time some of the world's greatest players have worn Umbro boots including Alan Shearer, Roberto Carlos, John Terry, Deco, Louis Garcia and Michael Owen who was wearing Umbro boots in 2001 when he was voted European player of the year. More recently they have launched their new hi-tech 'sx boot' which are a visually striking pair of boots with different colours for each foot reflecting the two sides of the brain, left being logical and assertive and right being intuitive, creative and passionate. The sx boot uses Michelin tyre manufacturing-related technology which is said to greatly improve control.

today Umbro continue to supply kit and training gear for the England national team and are contracted to do so until 2014, they also sponsor the FA Cup and the new Wembley stadium.