Who? The question asked by many when Rangers joined forces with Castore in what was a kit deal set to launch the sportswear manufacturer into the mainstream.
Years of litigation either side of the new arrangement with Mike Ashley and Elite meant that the “big” companies were never going to be throwing themselves at the Ibrox outfit.
After initial teething problems in their first venture into football with Rangers, Castore are now starting to make a dent into one of the most competitive markets after their financial results were revealed by Business Live.
Rangers kit partner Castore a brand on the up
In the space of a year, the company’s pre-tax profits have risen from £8m to £14.6m and their turnover from £48.8m to £115m.
For perspective, they have some way to go to catch the likes of Adidas and Nike with profits of over £10bn and £20bn respectively.
Director Tom Beahon told The Athletic earlier this year that they still have an advantage over these behemoths despite the difference in size:
“I always think of us as a speedboat in a market of oil tankers.
“The big guys are massive, and there are lots of positives that come with that, but they’re also quite slow by virtue of their size and scale.
“If we can be a speedboat in a market of oil tankers, we can have a competitive advantage against these guys.”
Is it possible to have an advantage over companies as big as Nike and Adidas?
The number of clubs that, alongside Rangers, Castore provide kit and merchandise for is growing every season but they are never far from controversy.
Aston Villa’s sweaty strips being the latest PR disaster.
The growth is to be applauded but they are more like remote controlled speedboats up against turbo charged oil tankers.
They have proven, eventually, to be worth the risk though with a firm footing in the market.
There are two years left of the initial deal signed between Rangers and Castore but both parties are in a better place than they were three years ago.
Even if they both still have a long way to go to get to where they want to.
