Newcastle deny reports they ended their Castore deal after complaints over the quality of their shirts amid Aston Villa’s ongoing issue with their own kits becoming too heavy with sweat

• The Villans are urging Castore to change their ineffective kits as a ‘top priority’ 
• But Newcastle have stressed that they found brand’s shirts to be ‘high quality’ 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Newcastle have denied reports that they dropped Castore as their kit manufacturer after complaints from their supporters about the quality of the jerseys, according to reports. 

The British sportswear manufacturer inked a deal with the Magpies in 2021 but will end its relationship with the club at the end of this season. 

Castore has found itself under fire in recent days after reports emerged that Aston Villa players were struggling with the kit becoming ‘too sweaty’ within minutes of match action. 

Concerns have been raised about the suitability of the jerseys and how heavy they can become soaked through, as well as how the women’s team can sport the kit when the WSL season kicks off on Sunday. 

Villa star Rachel Daly tweeted that the club had played a pre-season friendly in training kit rather than the 2023-24 strip, but later deleted the comment on X (formerly Twitter). 

Newcastle have denied claims they ended their partnership with Castore over quality issues

Aston Villa’s players have struggled with the new-look kit this season due to its sweat retention

Your browser does not support iframes.

But after a report circulated in the Telegraph that the end of the partnership was due to fan complaints about poor quality garments, the club issued a statement of rebuttal. 

‘Newcastle United has been made aware of a national media report regarding its kit partnership with Castore’, the brief statement began. ‘The club found the quality of Castore products to be extremely high.

‘We are proud to be wearing Castore’s well-designed, innovative training and match kits in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Women’s National League, and are appreciative of Castore’s support and contribution to the club’s trajectory over the last three seasons.’

The report also alleged that fans had also had issues with the lack of available stock in Castore shops in Newcastle, with poor customer service, and long delays in ordered merchandise being delivered. 

From 2024-25, Newcastle will partner with Adidas in a deal believed to be worth £40million, a sharp increase from the £5m-a-year deal agreed with their current partner under the club’s former owner Mike Ashley. 

The German label – who previously produced kit for the Magpies in the early 1990s – will produce Newcastle’s kit for the next five seasons. 

When prompted about the issues around Villa’s Castore strip, the club’s director of football operations acknowledged that there was an issue with the design. 

‘It’s true we have a problem with the shirt, because clearly the material is not absorbing the swets,’ Damian Vidagny offered. ‘We have a situation and the marketing department is dealing with the supplier to try and change it. 

Players become drenched within minutes of match action and there are concerns the design is hampering the side’s performance

‘It is not a question that concerns the manager, it is for the business side’. 

Villa has urged Castore to supply their teams with a new shirt as a top priority, as wearing last year’s strip is not an option due to a change in sponsorship over the summer.  

As debate over the shirt’s efficacy continues, both of the club’s teams are preparing for fixtures this weekend. 

Unai Emery’s Villa will play Brighton on Saturday, whilst Carla Ward’s side will open their WSL campaign against Manchester United the day after.  

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Read Full Article