Mitre Sports International are renowned as one of the country’s premier sports manufacturers, and remain the official ball suppliers for the FA Cup – but did you know they have been in business for over 200 years?
Our latest object from The Players Foundation Collection is this Mitre Delta football, thought to date back to the 1980s.
The company was founded in the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield back in 1817, though it would be over a century until it became Mitre. The tannery first bore the name of its founder, Benjamin Crook, and initially produced leather goods before specialising in the manufacture of sporting equipment and apparel.
@nationalfootballmuseum Did you know that Mitre is technically over 200 years old?! 😱 This Delta ball isn't quite that old, but it's a super new addition to our collection, courtesy of The Players Foundation. #footballtiktok #footballhistory #footballmuseum #mitre ♬ Epic Music(863502) – Draganov89
Initially established in the heart of the town centre, Crook moved his base a half-mile north, to the nearby suburb of Birkby. In 1949, Crook’s successors changed the company name to Mitre, paying homage to the founder’s firm friendship with a local bishop in the area.
From this period onwards, Mitre fast became one of the country’s most recognisable football brands. They released a range of balls and shin pads endorsed by Tom Finney in the late 1950s, and In 1964, Manchester United star Denis Law – who began his professional career at Huddersfield Town – became Mitre’s first official spokesperson.
Two years later, Mitre were chosen as official ball supplier by The Football Association. An unbranded orange variant was used for the 1966 FA Cup Final between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday – but it was a Slazenger orange ball, chosen in a blind test at The FA’s Soho headquarters, that would be used in that summer’s World Cup.
Nevertheless, Mitre balls were consecutively used at every FA Cup Final for 40 years. From 1976 onwards, they were also the official ball suppliers of the Football League – and also made their presence felt in the women’s game. The company sponsored the first WFA Cup, named the Mitre Challenge Trophy, from its inception in 1970 to 1976.
During this era, Mitre produced the 25-panel Max ball. Then, in the eighties, it created one of English football’s most iconic balls: the Delta. The chevrons would become Mitre’s distinctive trademark, featuring on their footballs to this very day.
As one of England’s top brands, Mitre manufactured the first balls of the Premier League era, with their Ultimax variant often rated as one of the all-time great football designs. Their influence waned towards the millennium, and they were replaced as Prem suppliers by Nike in 2000, and lost their status as The FA’s preferred partner to fellow North West brand Umbro in 2006.
However, they retained their position as ball suppliers to the EFL until 2021. Their balls have since made a glorious return to FA Cup competition, though not without controversy. Earlier this year, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola criticised the ball after an FA Cup Fifth Round win over Plymouth Argyle, blaming the ball for his side’s profligacy in front of goal.
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