In an exclusive interview with Footy Boots which you can read in full next week, Simon Skirrow, the boss of Nomis, says that the interaction he has and the feedback he receives from amateur players far outweighs the need to spend vast sums of money in securing professional player endorsements.

His approach, like a number of other ‘smaller’ brands may be based on ‘the bottom line’ but it does throw up an interesting point in terms of marketing strategies - what works, what doesn’t, what’s worth paying out the big bucks for and what isn’t.

It also begs the question; can the personally owned football brand make it on the big stage?

With Skirrow, the marketing plan seems to revolve around innovation. Create a product that no-one else can match and let the boots themselves to the talking. Nomis go big on comfort, safety and performance and as you’ll discover in the interview, Skirrow passionately believes that his boots are the best on the market. Add in a sprinkling of technical innovation too such as nomud, Dual Control and most recently, customised digital design as shown on the NXGEN Spark, it’s clear that Nomis are continuing a well trodden and successful path.

Nomis NXGEN Spark

And it’s not as if Skirrow hasn’t experienced the other side of the coin. As a big wig at Adidas and co-creator of the Predator, he’s seen how the big boys work and, probably more to the point these days, he knows just how much that can cost.

Meanwhile, as a newcomer in the market place, it was always unlikely that Concave would sign up masses of pro’s from day one.

Instead, as they explain in their exclusive Footy Boots blog, they went with a limited release of the PT1 which will be followed up this year by the all new kangaroo leather PT+, a mid range of boots and at least 2 new colourways. Plus, a la Skirrow, they’ve kept a keen eye on customer feedback and made some minor adjustments to the existing range as well as sending our replacement boots to any users who had problems.

Concave PT+

They also had to endure a pretty rough ride from the boot ‘experts’ who questioned, and to some extent still are questioning, the fundamental technology of the Concave boot with its enlarged sweet spot.

However, as can be seen from the new range, Concave are sticking to their guns and are still happy with their 4 pillars of performance; improved accuracy, power, protection and control.

How these two brands will fare in 2009 and beyond is of course anyone’s guess, but in a world where mass volume is understandably king, where celebrity endorsements create a seemingly unquestioning following and where large wedges of cash can sometimes be used to paper over the cracks, it’s refreshing that Nomis and Concave are out there fighting.

Read Simon Skirrow’s exclusive 2 part Footy Boots interview next week.

It would probably make a good question in the sports section of a pub quiz. Which Premier League footballer’s career path is this – Barnet, Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Watford, Wigan, Hull and Middlesbrough?

Considering the title to this piece, you would have guessed that the answer is 28-year-old Marlon King. The striker has changed clubs on a regular basis over the last few years and at this moment in time finds himself at Premier League strugglers Middlesbrough.

Despite not being able to settle at a club since his three year spell at Watford, King does appear to be focused on the job in hand at the Riverside though. His character means that he doesn’t like losing, so there is no doubt that he will be giving his all to the Middlesbrough cause.

King made his debut in the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but he isn’t too downhearted about this as he believes that whether his new team stay up or not will depend on their home form.

With this in mind, the on-loan Wigan man has called on his team-mates to make the Riverside a ‘fortress’ in the coming months. He says that the ‘supporters are behind’ the team and that this should result in teams finding it ‘difficult’ to pick up points when travelling to Middlesbrough.

As for King personally, well he claims that he is ‘110% committed to Middlesbrough’ despite the fact that his future beyond this season is rather uncertain. He also states that he is ‘up for the challenge’ of helping Middlesbrough avoid the drop.

One of the most significant things King said though was that he quite simply ‘loves playing football’. This seems very, very true. The fact that he has had so many loans in the last couple of years shows that he isn’t happy to rot away at Wigan. He will play for anyone given the chance.

There is no doubt that it could be a gruelling spell at the Riverside for King though as they are likely to be battling against relegation for the rest of the season. They sit in the bottom three at present after going 11 Premier League games without a win.

The

football odds are beginning to suggest that Gareth Southgate’s new men will do well to avoid the drop and there is no doubt that tomorrow’s game against Blackburn Rovers is a must win game.

Should victory be achieved, it could trigger a better run of results and also act as a response to Marlon King’s claims that the Riverside has to be a fortress for the rest of the season.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about

football betting

The 2011 Champions League final will be held in London after Wembley was chosen to host the showpiece event.

Uefa selected the rebuilt UK stadium ahead of Berlin’s Olympiastadion and the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The news had been expected after Uefa delayed its decision to allow the UK Government to bring in a tax exemption for players appearing in the final.

Meanwhile, Lansdowne Road in Dublin has been picked to host the 2011 final of the Europa League (Uefa Cup). Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium had also been in the running, but as one country cannot stage both major finals in the same season, as soon as Wembley was awarded the Champions League game, the Gunners’ home ground was ruled out.

The Champions League final was last hosted by the UK in 2003 at Old Trafford. Wembley has not staged it since 1992 when Barcelona beat Sampdoria in the year before the competition became known as the Champions League.

Commenting on the decision, the Football Association chairman Lord Triesman said:

This is fantastic news for London and the UK.

It is acknowledgment of Wembley’s ranking alongside the very best football stadiums in the world.

Charles N’Zogbia says he will never play for Joe Kinnear again after being insulted on TV by the Newcastle manager.

Charles N’Zogbia has gone on strike at Newcastle, as a result of  Joe Kinnear mistakenly calling him “insomnia” instead of N’Zogbia on television.

The Frenchman has vowed never to play again under Kinnear again because of the mistake, which surely is more like a last ditch attempt by N’Zogbia to leave the club during the transfer window.

N’Zogbia said:

Having been insulted by Joe Kinnear, I will never play for him again while he remains Newcastle manager.

I wish to apologise to the fans for wanting to leave the club.

The club are aware there are offers on the table for me and should accept one of them.

Joe Kinnear responded:

OK, I got a little tongue-tied, but if I had a pound for every time I’ve mispronounced a player’s name down the years then I’d be a very wealthy man indeed.

There have already been plenty of quotes attributed to Charles during January saying he is interested in leaving but the truth is we haven’t received a formal offer for him.

Sadly this just smacks of a desperate attempt to engineer a move away from Newcastle United — a club that gave Charles the chance to play in the Premier League and which has rewarded him handsomely during his time at St James’ Park.

Beckham scored a sublime free kick in front of Fabio Capello as AC Milan drew 1-1 with Genoa at the San Siro.

Beckham’s success at AC Milan continued, as ‘Golden Balls’ capped a fine performance under the watchful eye of Fabio Capello, with a trademark free kick.

On 32 minutes, Beckham took ownership off a dead ball on the left hand side of the penalty box and fired home into the near side corner.

Diego Milito equalised three minutes from time to deny Beckham the winning goal.

The only downside for Beckham was that he had to be replaced in the 71st minute by former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, due to an abductor injury.

Video of Beckham’s goal against Genoa. Just click the Serie A button at the top of the player to view.

The BBC have forked out £173 million to show Premier League highlights until the end of the 2012/13 season.

TV licence payers will either be delighted or flabbergasted at the investment the BBC bid in return for airing Premier League football highlight.

Why pay so much for Match of the Day, especially when there were no other terrestrial channel bidders? The BBC say they couldn’t afford to risk putting in a lower bid when MotD is so important to its sports coverage. Understandable seeing as their live football coverage is almost extinct.

Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore said:

The BBC’s commitment to the Premier League, the clubs and their fans has been an undoubted success.

The free-to-air highlights are a critical part of the Premier League’s broadcast presence, helping the competition and our clubs reach the maximum domestic audience possible, and we are pleased to see our relationship continue.

Roger Mosey, director of BBC Sport said:

As for the price, it’s level with our current contract. But more people are watching, it has a richer mix of rights, and it’s still below what ITV paid for Premier League highlights in 2000.

Hello Friends and Fellow Footballers…

We’ve responded to hundreds of email enquiries from folks eager to hear what’s next with Concave.  Here’s a quick glimpse.

Following its limited introduction in the UK last August, the revolutionary Concave football boot became another of those legendary “overnight” successes that have been years in the making.

By limited introduction we mean one model boot (PT 1), in one colourway (black, red, silver), through one exclusive retailer (JJB Sports).

It was kind of like a premier gourmet chef staging a private sampling to showcase his most delectable culinary creation.   But the limited rollout did herald the dawn of what many believe will be a new era for football – with higher performance standards universally and who-knows-how-many fewer metatarsal cripplings.

Concave Sports 2009

Now there’s plenty new to look forward to in ’09.  First, in the spring, a transition period from the single PT 1 calf leather model:

• Introduction of the PT + kangaroo leather model

• Addition of mid-range and entry level models

• Addition of round moulded cleat outsole (to complement screw-in studs and blades)

• New colourways, including black & white combinations

These football boots will be stocked by an expanding number of retail outlets in the UK, Ireland and North America, elsewhere as mentioned below, and also in several online stores.

Later in the year, around the end of summer, Concave will release a full range of boots,  adding indoor flats and junior and kids sizes (10-5) to the adult line-up.  Some key features of the newer line will include:

• A fully integrated concave upper element, which comprises one streamlined piece with a slightly lower profile and softer ridgelines than the original design

• The trademarked Concave upper element has been modified by replacing the TPU with a memory foam-like material that is sufficiently dense to serve its design purpose yet more flexible for improved performance and comfort

• Weight reduction, achieved primarily through a change of material in the Concave upper element

• Comfort improvements, particularly to relieve pressure on toe joints

One thing that does not and will not change is the boot’s functionality.  Extreme care is taken to maintain the integrity of the “four pillars” of Concave performance:  improved accuracy, power, protection and control derived from a sweet spot that is four times larger than standard football boots.

There was, however, one pesky design feature that had to be corrected.  It didn’t reveal itself during extensive wear tests but shortly after rollout we learned that the plastic eyelets in the lacing system were occasionally snapping off.  The few customers who experienced this failure received replacement boots.  Plus the eyelets have been converted to standard lace holes, thus eliminating the problem.

Meanwhile, Concave is moving ahead aggressively to expand its market presence so the boots will be more readily obtainable in line with demand.  In addition to expanding the  distribution within the UK and North America, distributors are currently establishing channels in Germany, Austria, several Eastern European countries, Greece, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia.

Don’t be shy about visiting us at www.concave.com, we’ll be working hard to keep it lively and informative.

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Just hours after returning to the UK following his unsanctioned trip to Brazil, Manchester City’s Robinho has been arrested by police investigating an allegation of sexual assault.

Robinho, whose full name is Robson de Souza, joined the club from Spanish giants Real Madrid in September.

On Tuesday he met with police as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged attack at a Leeds city centre nightclub.

West Yorkshire police said a man had been arrested in connection with an alleged incident on 14th January.

Robinho’s spokesman, Chris Nathaniel said:

Robinho strenuously denies any allegation of wrongdoing or criminality and is happy to co-operate with the police if further required.

Robinho had only recently returned to the UK after leaving City’s training camp in Tenereife without permission.

The £32.5m forward made an unscheduled departure by flying home to Brazil without telling manager Mark Hughes that he had to attend some “family business”.

Irony watch

Today is the day. Today marks the start of it. Today is the beginning of the Oh Kay campaign to remove the word ‘irony’ from football commentary. The dictionary definition of irony is: an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. All football commentators should be made aware of this.

The best misuse of a sentence containing the word irony was along the lines of “and Gary Neville is being replaced by Manchester United and here’s the irony, the man taking his place is his brother Phil.” Let’s examine that shall we? Both players played for the same team, both were defenders (at the time) one featured in the starting XI and the other was on the bench. There is nothing ironic about this turn of events whatsoever. Other classics include “and here’s Rovers’ new signing who, ironically, makes his debut against his former club.” No, coincidentally he makes his debut against his former club. And only recently we had “and Spurs go behind to a goal created, ironically, by two of their former players.”  No, wrong again. The fact that the two players in question were playing for the opposition meant that their involvement in a goal was more than a possible occurrence, particularly as one of them was a striker. It certainly wasn’t contrary to what was or might have been expected.

So, I urge all football fans to keep an ear out and if you should hear a commentator or pundit crowbar the word ‘irony’ in to sentence without real cause or justification, send me the details and we’ll name and shame them right here.

Rafa blast

Another week, another rant from Rafael Benitez. Hot on the heels of his dart at Sir Alex Ferguson, this time David Moyes has copped it from the Spaniard with Benitez claiming that Everton turned up an Anfield in the FA Cup to ‘play for a draw’. Bearing in mind that the whole object of cup football is not to get beaten particularly when away from home you’d have to suggest that Moyes got it spot on. Indeed, let’s not forget that the team that was apparently happy to settle for stalemate actually took the lead. Perhaps Benitez’s anger stemmed more from the fact that they’d dropped 2 home points against the same opposition a few days earlier and lost top spot in the Premier League.

Hot is the new cold

At 2.54am on Tuesday morning, the Daily Mail published a story on their web site that former England international Terry Butcher “wins race for Inverness hot seat.” The story was regarding Butcher’s successful pitch to take the vacant manager’s job. At the time, the temperature in Inverness was -1. Not overly hot then.

Nike Steam II Multi Ground Football Boots - Citron/Charcoal/Silver

Nike Steam II Multi Ground  - Citron/Charcoal/Silver

The Nike Steam II is a more affordable but still, highly detailed football boot.

It looks similar to the Mercurial Vapor SL and Mercurial Vapor IV.

This is one of the lightest football boots around allowing extra pace and great close control for the amateur and professional alike.

Specification

Upper

Soft, supple synthetic leather for great ball feel whilst the lace cover increases ball contact area.

Midsole

Die-cut EVA sock-liner.

Outsole

Lightweight TPU . Multiground 27 studs configuration makes the football boot ideal for use on hard natural surfaces and artificial turf.

Order these football boots in our store.

View the Mercurial Vapor SL.

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It’s a big day on Footy Boots as we welcome two new contributors to the team as well as featuring the latest football shirt news.

Football coach Omar Saleem, soon to depart the UK to work in New York, argues that collecting mountains of cash for endorsing football boots can also be damaging to your career.

Meanwhile 22 year Kyle Elliot has some great advice for anyone out there who is considering buying a new pair of football boots to see them through the remainder of the season and beyond.

Both Omar and Kyle along with a few more new names will be writing regularly for our brand new ‘From the Sole’ column, providing opinion and advice based on their individual experiences of buying, testing and playing in new boots. As always, you will be able to interact with our columnists through the comments section as well as providing them with feedback and information.

And, along with all of that, James Bailey has the latest update on Manchester United’s shirt sponsorship and details on a new kit based on a 100 year old design.

We all love our boots. I know I’m safe in this assumption or else you wouldn’t be on this website.

They’re a massive part of our game. If manufacturer’s are to be believed they can enhance our spped, mean the difference between scoring and hitting the post and, if some studies are to be believed, the mere appearance of your boots can tell the opposition what sort of player you are.

But with all these things to consider and boots costing triple figure sums we thought we’d share some of our tips for buying a pair of boots.

Consider your Position:

Are you a tough tackling centre-back, who values protection for his feet over an ultra-light, ultra fast speed boot? Something like the T90 Laser II’s or Concaves have added materials on the top for better connection with the ball, but it’s also another layer of protection between your foot and someone else’s studs!

Concave PT 1

Maybe you’re a play-making centre-mid who wants extra power for the over-the-top long balls to the front men? Adidas have hyped the Predators for doing this for over a decade, and the new Predator Power incarnation is no exception.

If you’re a lone striker who has to make every touch count it might be worth looking at something with a leather upper, Nike Tiempo Legends, Adidas Adipure & Copa Mundial or the Nomis Glove, for a great feel on the ball.

What time of year is it?

This is a factor which can get easily over looked, despite it being one the main factors  when you buy the boot: FG or SG. For anyone who’s not sure what this means, FG is firm ground so that’s your plastic blades and moulded studs. SG is for soft ground surfaces, which are usually screw in studs and part-metal blades.

Many newly built football pitches have a good drainage system and keep the grass cut short, so if you’re lucky enough to play on one of these you might be able to get away with FG boots all year round.

When thinking about weather it’s also worth looking at the upper of your boots – if you know your home pitch is usually a mud bath in the winter it might be wise to avoid boots which offer superb ventilation, like the climacool uppers available on the F50.8’s and the Predator DB’s, as you’ll find your boots will get wet very quickly, and could even give you some pretty nasty blisters. Instead it’s worth looking at the amazingly waterproof Mercurial Vapour IV’s or Lotto Zhero G’s, which only have one piece of material for the upper, preventing any water leaking through the stitches.

Nike Mercurial Vapor IV Charcoal

Does Colour Really Matter to You?

With companies like Nike churning out new (and probably garish) colourways seemingly every month there’s a boot out there to suit everyone, but for those who aren’t too bothered there’s a great opportunity to save a bit of money. As new colourways  are brought into production some old ones have to be reduced in price to make some room on the shelves and there’s great example in the footy-boots.com store right now: While a pair of the new Black/White/Comet Red T90 Laser II’s will set you back over £100, whereas a pair of the exact same boots in Red/Metallic Silver/Team Red are over £40 cheaper - leaving you with some extra cash to treat yourself to some new Astroturf’s for the winter training sessions!

By Kyle Elliot

As we progress into the second half of the season, the intrigue and excitement inevitably grows for football fans across the country, where tears of joy, sadness and sheer anxiety will be shed in droves.

Clearly the three way duel at the top of the Premier League seems destined to last the course, and the battle to avoid relegation seems as potent as the black hole sucking everything towards it!

But let’s consider football boots for the moment. Many of the top professional players across the footballing spectrum are now enjoying the benefits of personally endorsed boots.

Amongst many, there’s the Ronaldinho R10 range, the David Beckham Predator range or the soon to be released Messi F50 range.

In previous years we have seen the R9 from Ronaldo, the ultra special gold Predators designed especially for Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo’s green Vapors at Euro 2008 when all other Nike sponsored players were wearing their grandad’s boots from 1954!

However let’s break down the effects these personal triumphs of sponsorship have had on the players in question. Take Ronaldo and his R9 designed especially for the 1998 World Cup, a tournament old chubby cheeks would certainly want erased from history. Soon after, his injuries mounted and but for a resurgence between 2002 and 2004 he never recaptured his undisputed talent and wonderful form again.

Consider Ronaldinho, another victim of the ‘R’ range bug. After unanimously being accepted as the world’s most exciting and talented player as he lifted the FIFA World Player of the Year award not once but twice, he released his Nike Air Legend R10 range. However his sudden weight gain and increased time on the bench led to his demise and exodus from Barca. Luckily for Ronaldinho he still has time to peak yet again.

Ronaldinho’s latest boot - the 10R Dois

Beckham is another high profile footballer who since agreeing to design his own boots, left Manchester United in a furore and never recaptured the form that once elevated him to 2nd place in Fifa’s World Player of the Year. Although his profile remains and will continue to shine, his performances have waned since. Mind you, his first goal for AC Milan at the weekend won’t have done him any harm.

Last but not least we take Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zidane, a true legend, saw his career came to a forgetful if not entertaining end during the final of the 2006 World Cup. Although his boots shined brightly, the same couldn’t be said of the great man’s temper as he departed in spectacular fashion. And finally, Cristiano Ronaldo and his green Vapors looked the part coming into Euro 2008 as the best player in Europe. However in his new boots he failed to reach the heights he achieved at club level that season.

So here we sit in early 09 waiting for the new Messi silver F50 range. A talent like Leo’s comes around but once in a generation and his unique ability most certainly deserves the praise and attention it receives. Let’s hope he has better luck in his personalised boots than the lads who preceded him!

By Omar Saleem

Having steered their way through the tough tasks of defeating Derby and Tottenham, during this past week, Manchester United find themselves in the Carling Cup final and the 5th round of the FA Cup. Whilst the quadruple remains possible on the pitch, off the field United have been active in the football shirt industry. 

As we predicted a while back, the insurance company AIG has officially confirmed it will not be renewing its shirt sponsorship of the club when the deal expires. The American company also said in a statement that it was “in active discussions” with United regarding the current contract which ends in May 2010. Speaking on the matter, a United spokesperson stated:

The club is in dialogue with a select number of top companies worldwide and has so far received sufficient interest to be confident it can improve on its current £19m annual partnership with AIG.

Meanwhile, Sahara India’s head of Corporate Communications Abhijit Sarkar confirmed that the business group has received a sponsorship proposal from the Old Trafford outfit. The Sahara India pariwar logo and name is a common sight amongst national cricket team shirts, though if this deal goes ahead with United, it will be the company’s first sponsorship agreement involving a football club.

Further news featuring United includes the revelation that the players will be playing in a remake of the historic 1909 kit during next season. The United players will wear home shirts, which feature a large white V-shape sash down the front. The kit is based upon a 100-year-old design supplied by one of the club’s own players, Billy Meredith, before the 1909 FA Cup Final. United’s kit manufacturer Nike have been asked to rework Meredith’s shirt - using high-tech materials rather than heavyweight cotton and with a white sash on a red shirt instead of 1909’s red-on-white.

A Man Utd insider said:

The club felt bringing back this old kit was the perfect way for United to mark 100 years of success.

By James Bailey of footballshirtculture.com