{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Kit manufacturer Castore pledge to return Rangers to 'top level', make Man United comparison
Kit manufacturer Castore have claimed that they are planning to help Rangers return to the “top level” in terms of kit sales.
The Liverpudlian-based sportswear brand were announced as the Gers’ new partners in a statement on Sunday morning, and have signed a “multi-year” deal with the club.
The company, fronted by brothers Phil and Tom Beahon, are making their first forays into the world of football with the Ibrox giants, but have detailed their ambitious plans to help the club return to the glory days of the 1990s – when they challenged the likes of Manchester United in terms of shirt sales.
As quoted by the Daily Record, Tom Beahon said: “You can go to Australia, America, or Scandinavia and find Rangers fans all over. We think we can help engage those fans.
“Back in the 1990s, Rangers were selling more kits than Manchester United. That’s the level. It’s a big challenge but the fan base is global and what the club is doing on the pitch is trending in the right direction.
“We are going to work harder than any brand has since the 1990s to get them back to the top level.
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
“We’ve got no desire to partner with mediocre brands or work our way up by starting with tier-two teams. We only want to partner with the best.”
What can we make of this?
Eyeing up the likes of Man United is a huge statement of Castore’s ambition.
As recently as 2016, the Reds sold the most kits of any club around the world, with an annual average of 1,750,000 sales, as per Sky Sports.
Admittedly, it’s very difficult to imagine a situation where the Gers get anywhere near that, especially with the likes of the Premier League and La Liga dominating the global footballing market.
But the old adage goes that if you shoot for the moon and miss you are still likely to land amongst the stars.
Castore may be a small operation at the moment, but they are saying all the right things to suggest that they are very serious about making a real success of their partnership at Ibrox.
They might never turn the Gers into Manchester United, but there’s no harm in trying.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: Gers could face tricky battle if they rekindle reported Vaclav Hladky interest.