Umbro's new 'Home' collection is yet more proof the brand is king of English football nostalgia

You won't find any towering skyscrapers or big, bright brashness anywhere in this campaign, as Umbro tactfully strip things back to basics with a collection that is beautiful in its simplicity. In their own words, "this isn't football built for broadcast or scale".

Instead, the concept is built around a fictional grassroots football club in a quintessentially English town, leaning on the familiarity of a ramshackle playing field off a main road, the tired decor of an old clubhouse and the cheap pints and lively chatter you would invariably find therein after a scrappy Saturday afternoon encounter.

"It's no one's club, and at the same time everyone's club," Umbro say.

Shot at Greater Manchester's Ashton FC, the various settings are comfortingly familiar, focusing on "the spaces around the game, and the moments which unfold on the edge of the action, where real football culture and community live" in an homage to those keeping that feeling alive. The collection is even modelled by people connected to the club as well as street-cast characters.

In a deeply uncertain, unpredictable political climate where the St. George’s flag has been co-opted by the far right, the campaign feels like Umbro’s way of reclaiming Englishness in their own unique yet unmistakable way.

To bring their concept to life, Umbro have delved deep into their back catalogue to reproduce a raft of absolute classics, joining the dots between football, fashion and lifestyle. From trainers, to tote bags, to shorts, to trackies, to retro shirts, to hoodies, you could deck yourself out from head to toe twice or three times over if you so wished.

The highlights? Well, take your pick; the Harrington jacket is a thing of beauty, riffing off England's track tops at the 2006 World Cup two decades on, with the iconic abstract St. George's Cross on the shoulder. Intended as a tribute to the managerial greats, we reckon the late Sven-Goran Eriksson - who led the Three Lions to the tournament in Germany 20 years ago - would have loved it.

A reboot of the England home shirt from that time is also included, as well as the 1998 iteration, providing excellent pub garden options ahead of the 2026 edition this summer. You can also get your hands on a retro-inspired long-sleeve football shirt in three different colourways, featuring the iconic Umbro double-diamond tape on the sleeves.

This is as much a streetwear collection as it is a football collection, with plenty more pieces that would look equally at home on the terraces as they would the pitch. Among them are the throwback baggy tracksuit bottoms, evocative of kickabouts in the park with jumpers for goalposts. Just make sure you're home for dinner.

Then you have the Boxy Shirt which combines raglan sleeves and sports panelling with a classic placket and collar. You could pair that with the Washed Drill Pants, which feature a centre-font seam and oversized Umbro double-diamond logo.

Elsewhere there are astro-style trainers adapted for the street, loads of t-shirt options, jeans and cargo pants. A palette of beiges, soft, muted hues of grey and blue and a tartan of browns blends with the sporty fabric selection throughout.

This is just the latest waypoint in Umbro's successful revival, as they lean into their identity as one of few true heritage English football brands. When Nike sold the company in 2012 after a fairly brief four-and-a-half years of ownership, their future was uncertain at best having lost a number of key kit supply deals - including the England national team and Manchester City.

But in the years since, Umbro have consolidated and successfully reinvented themselves - tapping into their rich history, Manchester roots and the streetwear market at a time where crossovers with football were absolutely booming. The strategy has paid off handsomely, with Umbro now revered as experts of the ever-popular retro-inspired genre of footy clobber.

Umbro may have lost ground as a serious challenger to behemoths Nike and adidas in the battle to dominate the modern performance sportswear market, but they have found their lane as a purveyor of nostalgia-infused gear and made it their own.

"The intersection of football culture and fashion is a space with which Umbro is not only familiar, but has helped forge," Umbro's head of global brand marketing, Helene Hope, said on the release. "With a deep brand history rooted in this space, it feels like a natural story for Umbro to tell."

The English brand has proved once again that it is the country's king of football culture nostalgia. The 'Home' collection is available to buy now from Umbro.co.uk and selected retailers.

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