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Wolves cap shirt prices at £55 with Castore sponsorship

Wolves insist their new partnership with sports clothing brand Castore will allow them to avoid increasing replica shirt prices.

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The deal, which is a first-of-its-kind in British elite sport, will give Wolves more control over their retail sector as they manufacture and distribute products themselves.

General manager for commercial operations Vinny Clark insists not only will the club now stand out with bespoke products, but the prices will be capped at £55 for replica shirts.

He said: "I've been at the club for a couple of years and we really wanted to make sure that the next deal that we had was the biggest deal we've ever had as a club.

"But as well as that, critically, we really needed to make sure the fans were getting out what they wanted from our technical partnership. Historically, if we're being fair, that's not been the case.

"The traditional model between sports brand and club wasn't really working for us. Fans will hear eye-watering amounts of money being banded around for some of the world's biggest clubs, but the reality is for clubs the size of ourselves it's very different.

"Castore will make super-premium, technical products for our playing staff but from a retain perspective, we as a club will own that manufacturing process.

"That brings a ton of benefits for us. It gives us the ability to drive costs down, which we can pass on to fans.

"It won't be uncommon next year to see replica shirts up and down the Premier League at £65-£70, we'll be holding our £55 price.

"We'll also have the ability to manage the range and have control of the supply chain. That's a real positive.

"We're able to bring in women's replica which we've not been able to do in recent years, bespoke training, goalkeeper and match products.

"It's a hugely exciting deal for the club and will really improve our fan experience and products. It will also put the club on a commercially better footing than any deal we've had before.

"We've been able to get our colour right, the proper club gold, which is very important to the fans. We've not always been able to do that.

"The feedback we often get is why is our product the same as another club's, so that's something we've put right now. Nothing that we wear next year will be on any other team's in the world."

Castore were founded in 2015 and already has partnerships in place with Sir Andy Murray, Owen Farrell and Scottish Premiership champions Rangers.

Castore co-founder Tom Beahon, said: “As a brand deeply committed to the ethos of marginal gains and performance excellence, Castore is the perfect match for a football club like Wolves, who have proven over the last four years that nothing is impossible when you have commitment, courage and dedication.

“We are delighted to be partnering with such an ambitious organisation and look forward to supporting the team as they continue to progress and challenge the established elite of English football.

“We were very clear when we made the decision to enter the football market that we would only partner with clubs who had ambitions to compete at European level – it was clear from the very beginning that everyone at Wolves, from the ownership down, are wholly committed to that goal, which is perfectly aligned with Castore’s own ambitions of challenging the existing sportswear market incumbents.

“Both Castore and Wolves are extremely innovative, and this partnership represents that ethos. We are delighted to be part of the Wolves pack and look forward to developing world class products for the team and fans in the years ahead.”