Liverpool FC: New Balance v Nike Court case

applebear1976

Well-Known Member
The court trial between New Balance and Liverpool continued at the High Court in London today. In the second hearing day of the three-day trial new details about Liverpool's kit deal process got revealed.

The Reds and current kit suppliers New Balance are battling it out in court over the future of their partnership. New Balance insist they can "match" a rival deal that is on the table from Nike, satisfying a clause in their existing contract that would allow them to extend terms.

Liverpool have held kit deal "conversations" with Puma, a High Court trial was told. Liverpool managing director and chief commercial officer Billy Hogan was called to the stand to give evidence this morning, and when it was put to him that emails suggested the club had also been in conversations with Puma, he agreed.

Liverpool have decided Nike is their preferred option to take forward the supply of kits, with the club having sketched out a five-year contract starting for the 2020/21 campaign. The trial has already heard that Liverpool have agreed on a design for next year's shirt with Oregon-based giants Nike, with plans for the 2021/22 season almost finalised too.

It was also revealed that Nike have spent around £6million on fabric for the potential new kit and have received pre-orders from around 8,000 stores. They have factory space for 2.9m units reserved and training designs also in place.

Mr Daniel Oudkerk QC, for New Balance, suggested to Mr Hogan today: "New Balance has benefited from its relationship with Liverpool under the sponsorship from Liverpool….and Liverpool has benefited from the investment from New Balance.”

Mr Hogan replied: "From its investment, yes". Mr Oudkerk discussed the contents of an email from Nike which suggested the company is currently preparing for capacity of 2.9million units - the same as New Balance.

Mr Oudkerk presented another set of emails on the terms of the Nike offer, and said: “If the first teams fails for any reason to compete in the group stages of the Champions League, there are various reductions to their contract and to the obligations. “If that’s right that would be very material to you wouldn’t it, as commercial director you would want to know whether there were financial consequences for not being in the Champions League?”

Mr Hogan, Liverpool commercial chief, said he had not seen this element of the contract. Mr Oudkerk said that clause with Nike means there is no distribution obligation at all if Liverpool fail to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, but Mr Hogan said that had not been discussed.

The email included a longer form contract for the club to review - Mr Hogan said he had not looked at it...

The trial is scheduled for a final day tomorrow.


oddly it appears that Nike have actually offered Liverpool less money than NB, but that Nike will give them more retail outlets
 
Liverpool will receive about £35 million per season plus 20% of all shirt sales and merchandise which they estimate will take them up to and around the £75 million mark per year.
 
Recently, the Liverpool Board tried to patent the word 'Liverpool' to prevent any other commercial/business outlet using that word. They lost. There was a suggestion that they patent the Liver Bird motif. The Liver Bird statue sits on top of The Liver Building by the River Mersey, probably the most famous landmark in the city. They backed off. But that is what hard nosed American businessmen do. They push to the limit for commercial advantage.
 
this case will be massive in terms of our own case going forward

we should be arguing we've agreed shirt templates with hummel for the next x amount of years
 
Recently, the Liverpool Board tried to patent the word 'Liverpool' to prevent any other commercial/business outlet using that word. They lost. There was a suggestion that they patent the Liver Bird motif. The Liver Bird statue sits on top of The Liver Building by the River Mersey, probably the most famous landmark in the city. They backed off. But that is what hard nosed American businessmen do. They push to the limit for commercial advantage.
If you say Liverpool to me I think Beatles, not Liverpool FC.
 
Our judge was 100% clear that we couldn't break our contract and sign another one 'for profit'....so this will be interesting. What happens when it is the EPL and 'the big time'?
 
Still the most well known, and influencial music act around.
I've just tested your theory.
I'm working with 8 males today, between the age of 18-20.
3 of them have never heard of the Beatles.
Only 2 of the other 5 knew they were from Liverpool and none of them could name any of the Beatles.

Sadly, to the current generation, Little Mix are far more influential than The Beatles.
 
Our judge was 100% clear that we couldn't break our contract and sign another one 'for profit'....so this will be interesting. What happens when it is the EPL and 'the big time'?

It’s not so much directly profit that is the issue as it is distribution, NB have matched the financial terms, the argument is though that they can’t match the distribution terms hence haven’t matched the deal.
 
Once upon a time unquestionably but their influence has dissolved over time and will continue to.

Not among serious minded musicians and artists. Choral pieces today still hark back to medieval plainsong, and Back, as well as modern composers. Halfwits releasing grime records doesn't diminish the influence of The Beatles.
 
I've just tested your theory.
I'm working with 8 males today, between the age of 18-20.
3 of them have never heard of the Beatles.
Only 2 of the other 5 knew they were from Liverpool and none of them could name any of the Beatles.

Sadly, to the current generation, Little Mix are far more influential than The Beatles.
For a nano second in history, maybe. Ask the same people when they start shaving and graduate from the asylum to the real world and you'll get a different answer.
 
Not among serious minded musicians and artists. Choral pieces today still hark back to medieval plainsong, and Back, as well as modern composers. Halfwits releasing grime records doesn't diminish the influence of The Beatles.
If they were still around today, would you go see them at the Hydro or would you complain that its too big a venue and £100 a pop is ridiculous and reminisce about when they played smaller venues and it was only a shilling to get in?
 
When I think of Liverpool I think of my mate Steve.( sadly not Stevie!) and The Highfield Loyalist Flute band.
 
For a nano second in history, maybe. Ask the same people when they start shaving and graduate from the asylum to the real world and you'll get a different answer.
Sadly, I very much doubt that you will.

The chances of any of them hearing a Beatles track before Paul McCartney dies and makes the news are zero. Even then, I would be surprised if any of them watch the news.
 
If they were still around today, would you go see them at the Hydro or would you complain that its too big a venue and £100 a pop is ridiculous and reminisce about when they played smaller venues and it was only a shilling to get in?
Yes but they'd still sell out in 10 seconds.
 
Liverpool's board are immoral, out-of-touch and excessively greedy.

Might be nothing to do with this but thought I'd pop it in anyway.
They’re only looking out for their core fanbase in fairness. Which is in Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Manilla and Guangzhou as far as the powers that be at Anfield are concerned.

Such a soulless corporate Frankenstein of a club nowadays.

Hope the judge finds against all parties concerned and they are forced to be supplied with Go-Klass - or Sondico at a push - for the next 10 years.
 
I've just tested your theory.
I'm working with 8 males today, between the age of 18-20.
3 of them have never heard of the Beatles.
Only 2 of the other 5 knew they were from Liverpool and none of them could name any of the Beatles.

Sadly, to the current generation, Little Mix are far more influential than The Beatles.

Are you a hairdresser ?
 
Are you a hairdresser ?


I work in the Criminal Justice System, probably about as far from being a male hairdresser as you could imagine. The 8 males, to put it politely, all know what the inside of a Court Room looks like. ;)

In musical terms, more fans of 'Fun Lovin Criminals' than 'The Police'.
 
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I work in the Criminal Justice System, probably about as far from being a male hairdresser as you could imagine. The 8 males, to put it politely, all know what the inside of a Court Room looks like. ;)

In musical terms, more fans of 'Fun Lovin Criminals' than 'The Police'.
So you work with the biggest morons in society. I don't think that's a great cross section.
 
Liverpool FC. Play in red, founded by an Orangeman, but now tainted by the Filth. A sort of faux sentimental 'folk team' where everyone cries, has vigils and believes that every defeat has been a cheat.

why do people always say liverpool were founded by orangemen and completely ignore that those same orangemen started everton fc years earlier?

not a dig at you btw , just always wondered why liverpool get tarred with it and everton don't, my mrs family are all scousers apart from a few , 90% of them are red and prefer the scum but the few everton cousins she has all like rangers.
 
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