Often Partisan

Xtep Gone

So, farewell to Xtep. Colin Tattum revealed last night on Twitter that Blues have ripped up the kit deal with the Chinese manufacturer after two problematic years. Whilst at the time of writing there is no confirmation who their replacement will be, I for one am quite happy this turbulent relationship is now over.

As the recently released accounts revealed, the Xtep deal wasn’t the best for Blues. When the announcement was originally made to the stock exchange, it was noted that a company called “Birmingham (Hong Kong) Ltd” would enter into a sponsorship and advertising agreement with Xtep – what didn’t become public knowledge until the accounts were filed was that BHK were to also bank the monies from the sponsorship agreement.

Furthermore, it quickly emerged that Xtep were selling products in Hong Kong and China with a ripped-off version of the Blues badge – something that I can’t imagine pleased people over here in the UK at all – especially bearing in mind how ferociously protected the badge has been in the past.

There has been much talk online of who the new kit manufacturers could be, with some people hoping for a return to the Adidas kits of the late seventies and early eighties and others hoping for someone like Nike. I have to be honest; as an overweight bloke in his middle thirties the likelihood of me buying a replica shirt these days is around nil and I’m less fussed over who the kit is made by – for me, it’s all about it being right for the club.

With the new season now being six weeks away the hope is that there has been some preparation in getting rid of Xtep and the club have a manufacturer who is ready to go in supplying kits and replica shirts for the new season. A kit deal is more than which manufacturer goes on the shirt; the club has to be sure they’ll get a good supply of shirts at a good cost price; that there will be enough free kit supplied for the club itself and that should more be required that there is a possibility that it can be supplied. Whilst it might be nice to have an Adidas or Nike shirt Blues would be well down the priority list and it’s easily possible that they would end up with a generic design, that would be at the lower end of the list to be made and supplied. As kit sales and merchandise make up a large portion of Blues income it might be better for the club to go with a kit manufacturer who is more prepared to be flexible to Blues’ needs.

For me, this is another positive step. It was clear that Blues didn’t receive a penny from Xtep for the previous deal so anything we get from a new kit deal is more money for the club. Whilst it’s not great that they have had to ankle a major sponsor in this way in the long-term this is only going to improve the stability of the club and make it less reliant on Hong Kong.

edit 14:40 29 June

BCFC have announced the new kit suppliers as Diadora.

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32 Responses to “Xtep Gone”

  • BowThai says:

    Overweight & mid 30s NARH.Ok then!Your spot on.Not too much time to sort new suppliers/shirt sponsors.The decision must be whats best for the Club.I doubt if we can demand a great deal,if we get plenty of playing/trainning strips then thats ok.I went to China to watch the Blues and i thought then it was more about Xtep rather than the Blues.Seems i was right.Big welcome to Lee and his new team.I really hope they can keep Dave Watson as im sure that it turn will help Butlands focus here.KRO

  • Barry says:

    So Xtep are no more. But what about the 2 years money? Were payments ever made to Birmingham HK if indeed it does exist? Do these questions just go away and everybody pretend nothing “funny” ever happened?

  • Macc lad says:

    Yep the whole issue of where the money went from the kit sponsorship seems to be at the base of all the problems with the accounts.
    Questions here need to be answered, as Pannu alluded to in his statement.

  • Bluenosed says:

    I’m beginning to take on board what Pannu says now.

  • Mickey07 says:

    comment edited

    Do you want to try that again Mickey, but this time not using someone’s nationality as the basis for your dislike?

  • skareggae72 says:

    Xtep International Holdings Limited hmmmm
    Date 18/01/10 Xtep released a statement confirming they had secured a 5 year kit sponsorship deal worth around £7m,Pannu stated “the biggest sponsorship the club had aquired”
    Lets hope somebody can get it right next time……

    • Bumpyfunk says:

      Too right Ska….but we shouldn’t be relying on hope. We have all been taken for mugs from day one. Hope doesn’t get you very far in business…..These guys are no more than a salvage squad in disguise.

  • Mickey07 says:

    Good riddance to there tat…..now let’s rid ourselves of more tat in Carson yeung and this board….

  • Danny shooter says:

    It seems everything to do with these lot is dodgy, I want be happy till we get new owners, dont trust them.

    Comment edited

  • RednalBlue says:

    Thank god we have got rid of these suppliers at long last.
    Just a thought for people to share their opinions on but how about us all being under one umbrella,so to speak. The Blues ladies team use Burrda Sports as their kit supplier. A Swiss based company that also supply the national teams of Belgium, Tunisia and Kuwait. They also supply league teams Leicester, Watford and Wolverhampton.
    I wonder if monies going through a Swiss company ever go un-detected. lol.
    Welcome to Lee and his team. Please BCFC, do everything in your powers to keep hold of Dave Watson. I have mentioned many times in the past that during each game he is very much involved on the front line passing instructions on to players, introductions of substitutes etc so it appears to me that he takes on more than goal keeping duties as a coach. During the Euro 2012 I noticed him doing the same with the England team.
    KRO.
    Sam.

  • Reeboh says:

    News on new manufacturers is to come soon. KRO

  • KRO21 says:

    I was going to mention that i’d caught wind of word from within club that Xtep were being struck off and Diadora are set to replace them. Looks like it could be happening..

  • BluesSeanHarris says:

    I would like PUMA because they make nice shirts and Nike and Adidas euro shirts have been known to be toxicating so I would like PUMA or I would mind Umbro back because they are nice kits to

  • RichardM says:

    Actually the kit I would love to see back at the Blues is the old Belgian Flag / Penguin kit!

    Stonking kit – very original, years ahead of it’s time and should be Blues standard away kit FOREVER!

  • woody says:

    I thought it was modeled on the German flag not the belgium

  • Jorge Edwards says:

    well, there’s always 2 sides to every story. I heard it was the other way round.

    Only time will tell…

  • Oliver nicholls says:

    Ok so xtep is sorted, hui has gone. Is anybody else thinking that the house is being put in order to make us more attractive. I have a feeling both the new kit and new sponsor will be based on a one year deal so that any new owners can then make their own decisions next year? It will be interesting who comes in a CEO, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are not Chinese, but maybe a representative of an interested party. The people who have been appointed recently are of a “legal” back ground, coul this be because a sale is near?

  • BluesSeanHarris says:

    Diadora the makers of our new kit but woundnt be able to buy until September out of every one we pick them :(

  • Sambo says:

    can confirm in China the Xtep shops were selling absolutely abysmal quality ripped off Blues merchandise. That said, in their shops they had massive blown up photos of blues’ carling cup triumph, and I have seen quite a few kids wearing said knockoff merchandise. Even if it’s fake, much of it still has ‘Birmingham City’ emblazoned on it. They have similar shops for other Prem clubs like Arsenal.

  • DoctorD says:

    I confess I really don’t understand the following:

    “Birmingham (Hong Kong) Ltd” would enter into a sponsorship and advertising agreement with Xtep – what didn’t become public knowledge until the accounts were filed was that BHK were to also bank the monies from the sponsorship agreement.

    Why didn’t BCFC enter into the agreement — what was the point of BHK?

    • almajir says:

      That’s a very good question…

      • DoctorD says:

        I suppose if the situation was reversed and some Brummie firm had bought a Hong Kong FC football team, the Brummie firm would want to set up its own outfit to sell Hong Kong FC kits to the UK market. Actually when you think about it, it is pretty bonkers for a football club to be owned by a foreign group.


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