Platinum Stars Football  have announced that Umbro will be they new technical sponsor in the new season  
Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus, Phokeng - Platinum Stars Football Club and Umbro are delighted to announce that they have reached an agreement that will see the leading sportswear giant act as technical supplier to Dikwena for the next two seasons.

Umbro are looking to grow their footprint within South African soccer, having worked most notably with the England national team and Premiership giants Manchester City for many decades.

Platinum Stars have been seeking a permanent technical supplier since their previous deal with Puma ended at the completion of the 2010/11 season. They have been using kits supplied by Mitre in the current Premier Soccer League campaign. 

Umbro, which is a subsidiary of American sportswear company Nike, have representation in over 90 countries worldwide, having been started in England in 1924 by Harold Humphreys and his brother Wallace. The name ‘Umbro’ is a combination of their previous moniker, Humphrey Brothers.

“We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Umbro, which like Platinum Stars Football Club is an ambitious and growing brand that strives for excellence. We have been hugely impressed with the presentations made to us by Umbro South Africa and although we have initially agreed a two-year sponsorship deal, we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with our new partners,” says Platinum Stars Chairman, Floyd Mbele.

Aside from England and Manchester City, Umbro is also the technical supplier of the Republic of Ireland and Sweden national sides, as well as English Premiership clubs Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers, French Ligue 1 champions Lille and Spanish La Liga side Athletic Bilbao.

Their footprint in Africa is small though, and aside from this deal with Platinum Stars, they have just two more sponsorships on the continent, top Cameroon side CotonSport and Kenyan outfit Tuskers. This is something they are looking to change.

“Our partnership with Platinum Stars Football Club hopefully heralds a new era for Umbro on the African continent and we are delighted to have partnered with such a progressive and ambitious club as Dikwena. The facilities that they have here at the Royal Bafokeng Campus are world-class and we believe we can add to their success by lending our expertise as a market-leader in sportswear to them,” says Donovan Bell, Sales Manager at Umbro South Africa.

The official launch of the new Umbro Platinum Stars kit for the 2012/13 season will take place in due course.