OCALA, FLORIDA – The Ocala Stampede are pleased to announce that Admiral, the Original British Football brand to American and England’s top teams, will be the official uniform supplier to the Stampede beginning in the 2012 Season. The Stampede play in the USL PDL league. The PDL is the top level of men’s amateur soccer in the US with 70 teams in nine regional divisions it is the 4th tier of US soccer.
Admiral is the same brand that provided team wear in the 1970’s and 1980’s for the England football teams, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Southampton and Leeds in the English Premier League. Admiral was also the market leader in the United States on the shirts of the Los Angeles Aztecs, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Vancouver Whitecaps. Players who have worn Admiral include soccer legends Pele, Beckenbauer and Cruyff while they played for the New York Cosmos. Today the brand is also worn by ten other PDL clubs including 2011 PDL Champions Kitsap Pumas and the 2011 NASL Champions Minnesota Stars.
“We’re delighted to be launching Admiral with in our first PDL team in Florida." says Paul Hamburger, President and CEO of Admiral Soccer. “Admiral is totally focused on supporting the needs of community soccer teams throughout the United States. We’re really looking forward to working with the Stampede’s players, fans and the Ocala soccer community. The goal is to outfit all of the NASL, USL and youth soccer in the original soccer jersey,” says Hamburger.
The Ocala Stampede is a USL PDL team playing their first season in the PDL. Co-owner Bill Reed envisions this amateur team as a first step in the ladder toward professional play. “We were recommended to work with Admiral by another Christian soccer organization, the Charlotte Eagles in North Carolina a USL Pro club that recently launched their new 2012 kit with Admiral.”
In addition to developing players within the PDL the team are building; U18, U16 and U14 teams. PDL Players will assist with summer camps that draw young soccer players to the club. They’ll also take the soccer ministry to youth in low-income locations.
“What made the decision simple for us was the effort Admiral made to work with us, understand our needs and what’s important to us and Admiral just gets it,” said Reed.
The Stampede will unveil their new Admiral kits to fans and media in the 1st week of May before their first game away against VSI Tampa Flames on May 6th.
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About Admiral; Admiral, founded in 1914, first began manufacturing sportswear in 1966, when England won the World Cup. The company was a pioneer of the replica kit market, creating home and away kits for England, Leeds United, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and many other teams. They expanded overseas to the US supplying New York Cosmos, Tampa Bay, Vancouver Whitecaps and others in, Canada and Latin America. Admiral designs, manufactures, markets and distributes team wear, leisure apparel and accessories. For more information, visit http://admiralsoccer.com
For more information on the Ocala Stampede including sponsorships, internships, tickets or to volunteer, visit www.ocalastampede.com or call (352) 804-0132.