Words From The Founders
So much has happened in the first half of 2021 that it’s hard to condense it all into a single note. The continuing challenges of Covid-19 have affected us all and provided an incredibly difficult backdrop against which to try and grow a business. But of course, with grit, determination and desire, these challenges can be used as a positive to build something even stronger than what could have been achieved in more normal circumstances and that is exactly what we have tried to do at Castore.
Better Never Stops
History In The Making
Without doubt the standout moment of 2021 so far has been Rangers winning a historic 55th SPFL League title. Watching the team complete an undefeated league season in the first year of our partnership has been a truly phenomenal experience and one that will stay with us forever. As our first football partner, Rangers was always going to be special to us but experiencing the raw passion and deep emotional connection of the club’s global fan base has been beyond any expectation we could have imagined. When we founded Castore in 2016 it was a distant dream of ours to one day sponsor world class teams and watching Rangers win the league genuinely has been a dream come true for us. The focus is already now on title number 56 during the clubs 150th year anniversary, but last season will never be forgotten.
Going For Gold
As well as dreaming of world class teams one day wearing Castore products, at the beginning of our journey we also spent an unhealthy amount of time debating which athletes we would one day love to partner with. Back then it was nothing more than a daydream but this year we have experienced so many exceptional moments from athletes we are now privileged enough to call partners. Adam Peaty winning two Gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics was expected due to his phenomenal track record. Sat in a hotel room at 1:30am watching Adam destroy the rest of the field in his signature 100m breaststroke event – it was impossible not to feel your heart race increasing. Andy Murray’s warrior-like performances en-route to the Third Round at Wimbledon, Owen Farrell competing in a thrilling British Lions series against South Africa and Jos Buttler dominating for England against Pakistan were all exceptional performances from exceptional athletes. These individuals are the living embodiment of Castore’s Better Never Stops ethos and we could not be prouder to partner with them.
Premier League Years
From day one, our ambition for Castore has always been to build a global brand, one that competed on the world stage with the titans who dominated the sportswear market when we were growing up. Despite the many challenges, hardships and setbacks we have faced in the last 5 years, July 2021 will forever be a seminal moment for us as it marked the moment Castore entered the English Premier League through our partnerships with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United. Breaking into one of the most competitive leagues in the world is incredibly difficult (as proven by the fact that so few brands have been able to do it), and the fact that Castore’s combination of product excellence and commitment to innovation has resonated so strongly with these clubs is a testament to the incredible hard work and passion of our team. Saturday afternoons may become more stressful this year, but we can’t wait to watch our teams compete wearing Castore product in front of a global audience.
A Relentless Commitment To Innovation
When people ask us what has made Castore successful (which has happened a lot more in recent months – the perception of success is a lot easier to achieve than actual success), we never quite know what to say. When we do think about this though, it’s clear to us that one factor above all others which stands out is our commitment to innovation. We have entered an unbelievably competitive market which is dominated by huge global brands and all logic would suggest that a start-up from Liverpool would have absolutely no chance of gaining a foothold. It’s not intellect or strategy that has got us this far, but a single-minded commitment to being disruptive and finding ways of doing old things differently, whilst trusting creativity and never giving up no matter how crazy some people think (and have told us) we are. As long as we are both involved in the business – Castore will always look to do things others wouldn’t and take risks that would scare those people into submission. We are both firm believers in the maxim of fortune favours the brave and any future success Castore is fortunate enough to achieve, will be driven entirely by our desire to outwork our competitors and our desire to push boundaries beyond what anyone else would think is achievable. Great brands aren’t built by being reasonable – sometimes you have to think outside the box to achieve special things.
Better Never Stops
As nice as it sometimes is to reflect on the past, the only thing that really matters is what’s still to come. We are so far from satisfied and will use the hard work of the last 6 months to further establish Castore in the global market going forward. In the second half of 2021 we will launch our first F1 partnership with McLaren Racing, announce partnerships with leading international cricket federations and expand our football presence across key European leagues. Better Never Stops is not just a brand catchphrase for us, it is a philosophy infused into our DNA and we can’t wait to continue driving the business forward in the months ahead.
Finally, we want to take this opportunity to send a deep and genuine message of thanks to each and every single one of our customers. From the long-time loyal fans who have been with us from the beginning to the new customers who have just joined us on our journey and the football fans at the clubs we are so proud to partner – at the risk of sounding cliched none of this would be possible without you and we could not be more grateful for your support. As we hopefully come to the end of the pandemic and life returns to some semblance of normality, we will never stop trying to create the best sportswear in the world and deliver world class products and brand experience for you. Thank you for your trust in us and we look forward to sharing the next stage of our story with you.
Tom & Phil Beahon
Castore co-founders