Starting out as a humble hosiery maker in Wigston, Leicestershire to eventually becoming a global sportswear brand takes innovation, luck and most of all a knowledge for product. Founded in 1914 Admiral spent many years producing woollen undergarments for the British troops both in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. In 1939 a contract between Admiral and the Royal Navy saw the business grow rapidly and not just in base-layer garments but also sportswear for exercise on board the ships.

During the 1966 World Cup, England's number one Gordon Banks chose to wear the Admiral goalkeeper kit. Being based in Leicester he got to see the first hand innovation the brand was making introducing padding to the elbows of sportswear. It was during this match that Head of Marketing Bert Patrick created the idea of the replica football shirt.

Over the next 20 years Admiral grew into a world renowned brand having adorned the chests of many of the greatest living sportsmen. Johan Cruyff, Maradona, George Best, Kevin Keegan to name but a few.  

In 2020 we launched our first Admiral Sporting goods range with a focus on premium sportswear. With quality and comfort at the forefront we launched our first collection for Autumn Winter 2020.

The story so far is a good one, but it’s about to get even better.