Iconic brand makes shock return at The Open

Alex Noren got off to a fast start in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool, opening with a three-under 68 to lie two shots off the early pace.

However, it wasn’t just the Swede’s play that caught the eye. His choice of clobber did, too.

If you were looking closely at the ten-time DP World Tour winner, you would have noticed that his polo shirt on day one was emblazoned with the logo of a long-forgotten, much-loved brand.

Admiral.

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The English sportswear company has teamed up with up-and-coming Swedish apparel brand Macade Golf to create a new, eye-catching collection of course-ready pieces inspired by their “dual sporting expertise”.

One of the oldest sports brands in the UK, Admiral was founded in Leicester in 1914. It was originally an undergarment brand but soon pivoted to manufacturing apparel for sports including cricket, cycling, athletics and football.

Through its connection with Leeds United, Admiral pioneered the development of replica kits in the 1970s and, in 1974, brokered a deal with the Football Association to produce the first commercially available England shirt that featured a sportswear manufacturers logo.

Other football clubs to have had kits made by Admiral around that time included Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers.

Towards the end of the 20th century, the brand went through a period of relative inactivity. Indeed, the Admiral trademark was acquired by Hay & Robertson plc in 1997, before ownership was transferred to International Brand Licensing plc in a demerger in 2002.

In 2011, Admiral Sportswear Limited acquired the rights of the Admiral trademark for most of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, with the intention of revitalising the heritage sports brand.

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As part of that project, the brand started working and collaborating with different design partners, including Represent, Acme Whistles and Wellgosh.

This latest collaboration with Macade signals Admiral’s first foray into professional golf – it previously worked with the USGA in the 1970s – and has been heavily advertised throughout Liverpool during Open week.

The collection, modelled on the course by Noren, is led by a ‘Home & Away’ shirt, the former in a subtly striped Aubergine design and the latter in a two-tone Khaki/Blue colourway with orange accents. There’s also a quarter-zip jacket, full-zip jacket, shorts, other polos and hats to choose from.

Available exclusively at the Macade Golf website, the collection is reasonably priced, too, with items ranging from £30 to £95.