The UK sports equipment brand, Mitre has announced a partnership extension with the governing body of association football in England, The Football Association (FA).
As per the contract extension, Mitre continues to be the ball supplier for all the tournaments organised by FA for another three years.
The collaboration was started in 2018, and this extension will see Mitre’s Ultimax Pro balls utilised in the renowned men’s and women’s FA Cup, the FA Vase and FA Trophy lower-tier cup competitions, and the Golden Ball Awards.
The balls will feature the emblem of the corresponding competition; the Emirates FA Cup and the Women’s FA Cup balls will each have a brand-new, imaginative design.
Stephen Hutchinson, FA’s head of commercial partnerships, commented, “We’ve really valued this relationship with Mitre since they came on board, so we’re very happy to extend our partnership. Mitre shares the desire for our competitions to maintain the highest standards, and their track record as football suppliers to both the game in England historically and us throughout this period has been outstanding.”
Simon Rowe, Vice President of Global Sports Marketing at Mitre’s parent company Pentland Brand, stated, “At our core, we are a brand dedicated to our fans, and we firmly believe the beautiful game should always start with a beautiful ball. Today we proudly introduce the new Emirates FA Cup Ultimax Pro ball and Women’s FA Cup ball designs. Players and fans can expect the same game-changing technology coupled with a levelled-up retro design that encapsulates Mitre’s iconic past through the current football scene.”
Although Mitre specialises in association football, it also offers equipment (primarily balls) for other sports. The company is among the oldest of its kind worldwide, having been established in Huddersfield in 1817. Currently, Mitre is a division of the Pentland Group, which is controlled by a British family.