Earlier today we revealed the special football boots that Darren Bent will be wearing for Aston Villa’s big FA Cup match against Arsenal on Sunday, but what about the other games that are live on TV? Well, every game will feature the Umbro Neo Pro, the official ball of the FA Cup, and our boots are going to be well represented as well. Every other game on the box will feature some of Umbro’s finest, so keep your eyes peeled for these on the pitch from tonight:
Plenty of great matches to look forward to on TV this weekend, and plenty of great boots on display! Head to Umbro.com for more on all our football boots
These are some colourful boots! Look out for them on the feet of Aston Villa striker Darren Bent this weekend, when he debuts them in his club’s FA Cup 4th round tie against Arsenal. Created especially for Darren, there’s only a tiny number of these yellow and purple football boots ever being created. Ahead of the game, we had a quick chat with Darren about his boots, and him closing in on 100 Premier League goals. Here’s what he had to say….
You’ll be debuting these boots in a big game at the weekend, are you looking forward to the game at Arsenal?
‘Yeah, it should be a good game. I wasn’t involved in the game earlier this season, but I was at the last one down at the Emirates and it was a good game. Being an Arsenal fan as well, it’s always nice to play against them, but hopefully we’ll beat them!
The FA Cup is a special competition, and if you can beat Arsenal on the way, then it’d be even better. Beating Arsenal wouldn’t make it any easier though – that’s the magic of the FA Cup, that you can play any team and everyone just grows in stature. It doesn’t matter what division you’re in, anyone can beat anyone, it’s just about producing the goods on the day. If you don’t do that, then you’re out!
Winning the FA Cup would be a massive thing for Villa, we’re a massive, massive club and they should be winning trophies. If we could win the FA Cup, which is such a big prize, it’d be great for all the fans, and there’s no reason why we couldn’t do it.’
These special boots are a bit colourful, is that what you were looking for?
‘Yeah! I’ve always wanted some boots that are a bit more out-there, and Umbro have certainly produced the goods with these ones. I’m looking forward to wearing them! Umbro boots have always been really comfortable, they’re probably the most comfortable boots out there, and then they’ve done this yellow and purple colourway just for me, and they look fantastic, so I’m really pleased. With the colours, I just liked the look of them, I liked how out-there they are. You can’t sit on the fence with these ones.
The boots have also come at a great time as you’re close to getting 100 Premier League goals. Were you aware that you’re close to joining a very special group of players?
‘Yeah, it’s always been an aim of mine, to get in the Premier League 100 club, it takes some doing and there’s some absolutely class players in there. Alan Shearer, Robbie Fowler, Thierry Henry, these are all people that I regard as the best to ever play in the league. I’m on 99 at the moment, so I’m just looking for one more, hopefully I’ll get one off my shin or anything, just so I can be part of that. Once I get in there I’ll just be looking to get more as well. If I could get to 150 and beyond I’d be so happy.’
Obviously if you keep scoring goals, you could be part of the England squad at the Euros this summer. Have you thought about that yet at all?
‘I’m just concentrating on the cup and the league to be honest, because I’ve been in a similar position before, and all I can do is focus on what I do and play as well as I can for Villa, and if I got to go to the Euros with England I’d be delighted.’
We’ve done some special boots for you before, when you were the first player to have their Twitter name on their boots. How does it feel to be a trendsetter?
‘Nice! As long as people know that I was the first person to do it that’s cool, it’s all good fun. Trendsetter, I like that!’
Thanks to Darren for taking the time to speak to us. You can get your own pair of Umbro Speciali boots over at Umbro.com now – the Speciali 3 is on sale now.
It’s the FA Cup Fourth Round this weekend, and once again there’s some cracking ties to look out for. Whatever the game you should be counting the amount of times the ball hits the back of the net though, as it could win you a great prize. We’re asking you to guess the total amount of goals that will be scored in the round for the chance to win an Umbro Neo Pro ball, the official ball of the FA Cup sponsored by Budweiser. Head over to our special Facebook competition page to submit your answer, and you could be one of three lucky winners. The Neo Hi Vis will feature in every game this weekend, as teams look to take one step closer to Wembley and the chance to lift the trophy. Luckily the Neo goes where it should, so if your team are on their toes, they should see it heading for the back of the net! Best of luck in the competition, and lets hope we see plenty of goals….
Our special Umbro Tee Shop collaboration with Tinchy Stryder has been getting plenty of attention since we revealed it last week, but just how did this special connection come about? While we were finalising the design earlier this week, we spoke to Tinchy about the tee, the song and his admiration of Mario, despite being a Manchester United fan! Here’s what he had to say:
So how did the song Why Always Me come about?
‘Slix, one of the members of Ruff Sqwad reached out to me and said he had this song Why Always Me that would be good for the EP we were working on. So he sent it over and I really liked it. Why Always Me is something that anyone can relate to whether it’s positive or negative, so I got involved and people seem to really like it.
When the track got sent over, the hook really stood out, and it got me thinking. At the time I was supposed to be going into the Celebrity Big Brother house, so my verse is a lot around that and how I was feeling about that. Something about the whole Mario Balotelli character appealed to me in that way.’
What is it that you like about Mario Balotelli?
‘I like everything about him, his whole character. For example, when I first met him I said, “why do you never smile when you score goals?” and he said: “I’m a striker, that’s just what I do. You’re a performer, so that’s what you go out and do.” That’s a good way of looking at it, he’s just doing his thing, he’s not putting it on, he’s just naturally like that. I think people can relate to him, he’s got a good heart and he’s strong to his beliefs. That’s the thing that I think the world of football needed, we haven’t had a character like that in England for a long time. And to go along with all of that, he’s also a good footballer, which helps!’
That must be difficult for you to say, as a Manchester United fan?
‘Yeah, that’s the hard part! But I just love football. I am a United fan, so I know people are going to be thinking “Tinch supports Man U, he’s done a track with Ruff Sqwad that’s all about Mario Balotelli, that doesn’t add up.” But, I like him as a person, and it was the ‘Why Always Me’ moment that grabbed me. If you’re a football fan and you know football, you’ll know he’s a good player.’
So ideally, Mario will be the top scorer in the league but United will win it?
‘That’s the dream world, yeah. Mario can be top scorer but United win the league, I’ll take that.’
Why did you decide to create the tee shirt with Umbro?
‘I guess the whole situation is that, music is my first thing in life, but I’ve always been interested in the business world as well. So when the Mario Balotelli track came up, we knew that it’d be good to come together with Umbro and design the tee based on the Why Always Me design. We related it to me, to him and to the whole situation really. It’s all for good reasons, so it’s all positive.’
What did you think of the designs?
‘The designs have been really cool man, when I explain something and then someone can capture what you’re thinking and put it onto a tee shirt, that’s great. It doesn’t look like it’s representing any one thing either, anyone can wear this shirt, but there’s little things in there like the music notes for me. It’s a great collaboration that represents me, Mario and Umbro all linked into one.’
I hear that you’re quite a decent footballer, who would you compare yourself to?
‘Yeah, I was good at football, and then I guess music just became a bit more important for me. If I was going to suggest a player I always liked or hoped I played like, I’d say Ronaldo – the older, Brazilian one – or maybe Aguero, another City player! I was quite quick, good on the ball and I scored goals, so maybe Romario as well.’
You were born in Ghana but grew up in England, so who do you support?
‘I went to that game against England, and I was supporting Ghana, that was a great game. It felt like a win for Ghana even though it was 1-1. If they’re not playing against each other, then I’ll be supporting England. I was born in Ghana, so that’s where my heart is.’
What else have you got planned for this year in terms of music?
‘After this EP, I’ve been working on loads of different things. I’ve got a single out with Pixie Lott called Bright Lights, and then I’m launching my own label Cloud 9. With music I never like to plan too far in advance, so things come up all the time. I know this year is going to be really exciting for me though.’
You’ve met Jay-Z a couple of times, do you think he’d enjoy watching a game of football?
‘Yeah, it’s different because he likes basketball, but I reckon he’d like football. He’s a really cool guy, really laid back. If he wanted to come over I’d take him to Old Trafford for a game. I’m not sure if he’d want a pie and chips though!’
Thanks to Tinchy for taking the time to speak to us. The special Why Always Me tee shirt is available exclusively from the Umbro Tee Shop now. Ruff Sqwad’s EP is out on January 24th, here’s the video of the track Why Always Me:
The Speciali has long been regarding as Umbro’s iconic boot, offering classic style, comfort and great fit year on year, game after game. Now, following in the footsteps of the commemorative Speciali ’92 comes the latest design for our classic boot: the Speciali 3.
On sale from today, the Speciali 3 has everything you’d expect from the Speciali, with some interesting new innovations that keep the boot at the top of the class. The two colourways here – black and light blue, and white, black and orange – have already been spotted on the football pitch as top players such as England striker Darren Bent test them out. Now, they’re available to buy, so you can put them through their paces as well.
Available with both soft ground and hard ground outsoles, the Speciali 3 has a lightweight TPU outsole that gives the wearer greater flexibilty and heel stability. The SG studs are aerospace graded aluminium, lightweight yet incedibly durable. The uppers are crafted from the finest soft leather, making the boots incredibly comfortable, something that continues inside the boot thanks to Poron sock inserts. An assymetrical lace area provides a greater strike zone, so you’ve no excuse for those shots that hit row Z rather than the top corner!
Soft ground and hard ground Speciali 3 Pro football boots in both new colourways are on sale now on the Umbro website – head there now for more details and to grab yourself a pair.
We’ve already shown you the tee shirt that Umbro and Tinchy Stryder have created, but here’s a great video that shows the moment when Tinchy arrived at our Dale Street studio to finalise the design along with Mario Balotelli.
In the video, Tinchy talks about how he came to write the song ‘Why Always Me’ with Ruff Sqwad, why he wanted to create a tee shirt with us and why he’s a fan of Mario – despite being a Manchester United fan!
The tee shirt is on sale now, exclusively at the Umbro Tee Shop
The Umbro Tee Shop is starting 2012 in style thanks to a collaboration with one of the UK’s hottest rappers, Tinchy Stryder. We’ve worked with the Ruff Sqwad’s main man to create this fantastic tee shirt, and it’s even impressed the man behind the original Why Always Me – Mario Balotelli!
The idea came about after Tinchy and Ruff Sqwad wrote a song for their new EP called ‘Why Always Me?’ – even though Tinchy is a Manchester United fan! He got in touch with us about our Why Always Me tee, and from there we’ve created this new incarnation, which features elements of Tinchy’s own life and some nods to Manchester City’s Italian striker. Working with Tinchy Stryder and Jada Styles, the Umbro Tee Shop is the only place you can get hold of this fantastic new tee shirt – head over there now to see it in more detail. All of Umbro’s profits from this tee will be donated to a charity of Mr. Balotelli’s choosing.
We’ll have more on this fantastic collaboration soon, including an interview with Tinchy and some fantastic video clips from the day
Following our chat with Manchester City legend Paul Lake, we recently had the chance to speak to another special character from the club’s history – Steve Redmond. City’s youngest ever captain, Steve was a mainstay in the MCFC defence between 1984 and 1992, making over 200 appearances for the club.
Steve also played for the club in a pretty interesting game for the club which we’ve discovered online. In December 1990, City played Spurs at home, just as they’re doing this weekend (check out the video we discovered below of the original game). On this occasion though, thick fog in Manchester meant that the club had to don their maroon away kit just so they could be seen on the Maine Road pitch. A rare appearance of an away shirt being worn by the home side, it proved to be a lucky omen, with City beating Spurs 2-1. Steve Redmond got the first goal on that occasion, a rarity for him, and something he was happy to talk about!
Do you remember that goal Steve?
‘Yeah, it was off my knee I think! Quinny headed the ball to the back-stick, and it came off my knee, and then Clarkey (Wayne Clarke) claimed it! I didn’t score that many, I remember my first for the first team, against Coventry away on Boxing Day. I played in centre midfield and we drew 2-2, and I got both goals. I also got a header against Oxford at Maine Road, and a left-foot free kick against Luton on the plastic pitch, they all stick out.’
What was it like to captain Manchester City at 18 – the club’s youngest ever?
‘It was a bit weird at first, as a youngster I wasn’t the loudest. But when I went to City I moved from centre forward to a centre back, and from there it’s easier to see everything and dictate to people. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad, I didn’t have to give anyone a rollocking in the dressing room or anything like that. We had a good group of lads which helped. I wasn’t a big time Charlie, so hopefully the other players just respected me for who I was. I got a bit of abuse just because I was a Scouser – if anything went missing in the dressing room, I usually got the blame, that kind of thing!
I remember when I was captaining the first team, looking back at the lads in the tunnel and thinking ‘I’m in charge of these guys’. I always remember my mum telling me that her and my dad cried when I lead the team out, that’s something that will always stick with me. But once you’re out on the pitch, it doesn’t’ really matter who the captain is, there should be 11 captains. But as an honour, to do it as an 18 year-old and to progress so quick, it’ll stay with me forever.’
You were also part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup against United. Was that a highlight of your time at the club?
‘I remember that game well – it was a two legger, we drew 1-1 at Old Trafford, Lakey (Paul Lake) scored a penalty, and we got them back to Maine Road and we won 2-0. The 5-1 would have to be the highlight though – the win for the Youth Cup against United was the first – but for a result in the first team it would be have to be the big one at Maine Road. Also, being a Liverpool fan, the first time playing at Anfield always stood out. I’ve still got the video of the 5-1 in the house, once every blue moon I’ll put it on and show my son, ‘look, your dad was a footballer!’ It was just one of those days that I’ll never forget, everything clicked for us and we scored some great goals.’
You played during a great era for English football, who were the best players you played alongside and against?
‘It’s difficult to single one person out to be honest. Players like Keith Curle, Colin Hendry, Mick McCarthy, they all had things that made them great players, they’d run through walls for the team, the ultimate player would be a combination of all three. It’s the same with players you’ve played against – people like Lineker or Ian Rush stood out because they were quick, but then there’s Mark Hughes who was as strong as an ox. Dalglish was very clever, and then someone like Mick Harford who you knew was going to smash you to bits. That’s why it’s hard to pick one, when you’ve played against such a collection of different players.’
It seems like a different era, in terms of defending and what was allowed in the game?
‘You watch games now, and any time an attacking player gets near the box, everyone backs off. It’s going to get to the stage where you won’t be able to make a tackle. In my day, centre forwards knew that in the first two minutes they were going to get smashed, and they just got on with it. Nowadays, every tackle is scrutinised on TV, there’s no chance of just having a moan and getting on with it. I loved a tackle, and it’d lift the crowd almost as much as a goal would. I’d be sent off most weeks if I was playing today!’
Do you still watch City today?
‘I go to watch City when I can, and I always enjoy it. In terms of the current squad, I do like Kompany, I’d have liked to have played alongside him. I wouldn’t fancy facing someone like David Silva though!’
The Umbro GT II already has one new colourway that’s caused a stir amongst football fans, and this fresh new colour is all set to make itself known as well. Keep your eyes peeled this weekend for the silver and red GT II, an eye-catching look for Umbro’s fastest, lightest football boot.
Seen on the feet of England and Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker and Sunderland striker Connor Wickham, the silver GT II boots are going to be lighting up the leagues from this weekend. They’re on sale at Umbro.com from Saturday January 14th.
Seen on the feet of top stars such as Joe Hart and Jordan Henderson, these new colourways for the Umbro Geometra have given the boots a fresh look as we head into 2012. The Geometra has proved to be very popular since it was launched last year, thanks to innovative features such as the memory foam pass pad on the instep to aid control. The boot is designed for the player in the midst of the action, looking to control the game and provide that incisive pass.
They’ll be looking good as well, thanks to the new black and green colourway pictured above. There’s also a sharp white and red new colourway that’s made its debut on the pitch, keep your eyes peeled for more appearances this weekend in all the big games! Both colourways are on sale on Saturday January 14th, check out Umbro.com for more details. There’s more pictures of both FG and SG versions of the boots over on our Flickr page as well, take a look!
Reference to specific teams, players or organisations within this blog - or links from it to external team, Player, individual, media, community or organisational websites - does not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation of umbro or the umbro brand. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of umbro.
