2020 Kit

[HuddsTigers]

The benefits are all referenced in this article: https://www.castlefordtigers.com/article.php?id=6660

* Greater control of all aspects of the club’s retail operation moving forwards.
* A “best of both worlds” deal with the club’s own retail brand supported by partners Elite Pro Sports, which has over 30 years’ experience in production, retail and e-commerce.
* Future opportunities for local community clubs to license the Club Castleford brand for their own merchandise needs, with further details on this at a later date

Club Castleford is our own brand. I feel it's a mutual partnership where Elite Pro Sports get access to the Tigers' brand and resources and we get access to their manufacturing and supply links to be able to go out and create our own products. This means rather than being limited to a small range of products or supply lines, we can go out and create, sell and develop our own than being limited to the small range of a supplier, ergo meaning more designs, bigger range, more revenue. I would imagine we're not contractually tied to a company and their range either, meaning we can go out and use it for other products, items and objects.

I would imagine that Elite Pro Sports will take a cut of the manufacturing or creation of the items and we'll perhaps get money from selling the Club Castleford licences to local clubs, anything they create and sell.

Perhaps a question for the next edition of Tiger Talk https://www.castlefordtigers.com/article.php?id=6654

[nottinghamtiger]

I would imagine that Elite Pro Sports will take a cut of the manufacturing or creation of the items and we'll perhaps get money from selling the Club Castleford licences to local clubs, anything they create and sell

It’s exactly this. We are paying more to have the items manufactured, but giving away less of the profits to the manufacturer (Elite Pro/Oxen).
If sales go well and the higher cost of manufacture is outweighed by keeping more of the profits, all is well.
If sales go badly and the higher cost of manufacture is not outweighed by keeping more of the profits, it’s not so good.

[StevieTheTV]

I dont mind all of the kits, plus the training and everyday range seems to be better.

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

[Casmania]

I dont mind all of the kits, plus the training and everyday range seems to be better.

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

This may be due to the club apparantly letting the clubs logo trademark lapse last year.

[Mysterio]

I dont mind all of the kits, plus the training and everyday range seems to be better.

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

This may be due to the club apparantly letting the clubs logo trademark lapse last year.

....WHAT?

WHAT!

That deserves a topic all of its own I think. It says oh so very much.

[tigerfeat]

I always thought a logo began being a trademark when you started using it and hence never runs out ...might be wrong like

[nottinghamtiger]

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

There’s a Club Castleford logo?
I thought we had secured sponsorship from Comedy Central.

[Casmania]

I always thought a logo began being a trademark when you started using it and hence never runs out ...might be wrong like

Unfortunately not, the logo was first registered in 1999, the trademark expired August 5th 2018

[tigerfeat]

Fair enough you learn something everyday I always thought your trademark never expired

[Burratha]

Unfortunately not, the logo was first registered in 1999, the trademark expired August 5th 2018

Which logo are you referring to?

[tallguyx]

That’s the most bizzare thing I’ve heard for a while it dosent surprise me though. We are run like a amateur team at the best of times. We have been really lucky nobody decided to trademark it themselves and hold the club to ransom.

[duke street 10]

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

There’s a Club Castleford logo?
I thought we had secured sponsorship from Comedy Central.

Its similar to the Comedy Central logo. Lets hope their lawyers don't think its any reason to get in touch.

Anyway the 3 shirt designs are smart.

[tigerfeat]

thats just replaced where the x-blades logo was the tiger head with castleford tigers around it is still on the shirt ?

[Flat Capper]

I always thought a logo began being a trademark when you started using it and hence never runs out ...might be wrong like

Unfortunately not, the logo was first registered in 1999, the trademark expired August 5th 2018

Are you saying I could register the Club logo and charge the Club to use it?

[HuddsTigers]

I always thought a logo began being a trademark when you started using it and hence never runs out ...might be wrong like

Unfortunately not, the logo was first registered in 1999, the trademark expired August 5th 2018

They still retain the copyright to the words 'Castleford Tigers' though, so no one can actually copy the logo or use the logo with the word Castleford Tigers.

Essentially, they just get a Tiger and whatever words they want to use on it. Bit silly to let it lapse, though. Perhaps another question to ask in Tiger Talk?

[tigerfeat]

Comedy Central about right...

[mart0042]

The stuff looks like xblades type stuff with a different badge on. Good luck to the club for trying something different.

It’s been an interesting couple of years in that respect.
The XBlades shirts in 2015, 2016 and 2017 were designed and manufactured directly by XBlades. Towards the end of 2017, XBlades sold the UK side of the business to Elite Pro Sports, owned by Lee Jenkinson, alongside all the existing deals with clubs, so whilst they retained the XBlades branding they were designed by Elite Pro Sports and manufactured in the Far East.
As the old XBlades deals have come to an end, Oxen (the manufacturing side of Elite Pro Sports) have made new deals with the clubs, essentially just continuing the partnerships already there but putting a different brand on the shirts and other merchandise.
It’s likely that clubs currently with ISC (Hull and Leeds) will go down the same route. They are with ISC at the moment - deals first done when Lee Jenkinson was working for both clubs, coincidently just after he had left ISC! The ISC factory in the UK is due to close this year, and rumour is that the UK side of ISC has been sold to.... Lee Jenkinson! Either they will keep the ISC branding but it will only be in name, as the stuff will be designed by Elite Pro and manufactured through Oxen (even if their branding doesn’t appear on the shirts themselves).
In terms of the Club Castleford concept, I guess it’s a way of trying to increase profits by paying more for supply but not having to hand over as much profit to the manufacturer. I guess it will depend on the specifics of the deal, but be assured that Castleford Tigers are not employing the people who either design or manufacture the merchandise directly. My concern is that Lee very rarely comes out on the wrong side of anything, he’s extremely astute and if he’s agreed to take less profit from sales, he’ll be making that back and more through higher supply costs.

Tbf, he wouldn't be in business very long if he lost money. He's not a Cas fan as far as I know, so it's a business deal.

Now we have no tie into a company, we can get who we want to make and supply or stuff. I especially like the fact that we own the name and rights and can allow others to make products with our name on it. So if someone wants to provide a separate shirt for a one of event, we can allow it and use our branding. A clear win win.

[nottinghamtiger]

My only hang up is the Club Castleford logo....it didnt need the wording underneath the logo. Nothing major but just would of enhanced the branding for me.

There’s a Club Castleford logo?
I thought we had secured sponsorship from Comedy Central.

Its similar to the Comedy Central logo. Lets hope their lawyers don't think its any reason to get in touch.

Why would they? Most companies would have to pay for advertising on a prime area of a sports team’s shirt. Comedy Central have got it for nothing!

[Casmania]

I always thought a logo began being a trademark when you started using it and hence never runs out ...might be wrong like

Unfortunately not, the logo was first registered in 1999, the trademark expired August 5th 2018

Are you saying I could register the Club logo and charge the Club to use it?

In essence yes, but without the words Castleford Tigers

[tallguyx]

Using this logic could you make a badge with the tiger though and just put the word castleford underneath.