Chicago Red Eleven Press Release - www.chicagoredeleven.com

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
 
NAPERVILLE, IL – The Chicago Red Eleven women’s soccer team has announced that UMBRO will become a primary sponsor for the team which begins play in the United Soccer Leagues’ (USL) W-League in 2009. UMBRO, regarded as the industry leader in soccer equipment and apparel, is the official supplier for the USL and its partners, with a uniform, equipment and branding affiliation which runs through 2012.

The agreement makes UMBRO the official uniform and equipment supplier for the Red Eleven (the W-League affiliate of the Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer for the state of Illinois). The UMBRO logo will become integrated into the team’s red and white uniform scheme and will also be a prominent part the Red Eleven’s promotions, publicity and marketing efforts.

“We are both excited and proud that we will have the UMBRO name in our corner during our inaugural season and beyond,” said Red Eleven owner Ted Gradel. “We believe UMBRO stands for distinctiveness and quality as it relates to soccer and that coincides precisely with how we desire the Red Eleven to be viewed by the W-League, as well as within our local community.”

UMBRO is a well established soccer related brand with international recognition. Based in the United Kingdom, where the UMBRO business was founded in 1924, the Group designs, sources and markets football related products which are sold in over 90 countries. UMBRO’s product range comprises apparel, footwear and equipment.

UMBRO has been associated with soccer since the 1930’s and its relationship with leading national teams and professional clubs now encompass exclusive endorsements and distribution rights for playing kit, apparel and equipment. UMBRO currently supplies playing and training kit to the England National Team as well as leading professional clubs worldwide, including West Ham United (England), FC Santos (Brazil), Changchun Yatai (China), CSKA Moscow (Russia), Everton (England), Glasgow Rangers (Scotland), Gamba Osaka (Japan) and Bestiktas (Turkey).

The UMBRO brand is also endorsed by high profile individual players including the England Captain John Terry, Michael Owen, Luis Garcia, Tim Cahill, Deco and Alan Shearer.

The Red Eleven will unveil its UMBRO emblazoned uniforms when the team opens play on Sunday, May 17 against the FC Indiana Lionesses in Indianapolis. The Red Eleven will make its home debut on Saturday, May 30.