Umbro bets on Owen's Madrid move

MICHAEL OWEN'S move to Real Madrid has won him fans far further afield than the Spanish capital. Sportswear group Umbro, which sponsors the ex-Liverpool star, reckons his new club will massively raise his profile - and their profits.

Chief executive Peter McGuigan said: 'Real Madrid are in the Champions League every year. They have 40 million supporters worldwide. So our exposure with Michael is far in excess of of what he could have achieved at Liverpool.'

Umbro signed him for a further 15 years in May in a deal said to be worth between £1m and £1.2m a year.

And today, Umbro agreed a major distribution contract in the crucial US market with the world's biggest sports retailer, Foot Locker. The deal will see Umbro trainers, football boots and clothing in high-profile positions inside more than 1,000 of the group's stores.

Meanwhile, Umbro said it spent £2.1m on advisory fees for its flotation at a knock down price of 100p in June.

But fuelled by demand during the Euro 2004 championships, pre-tax profits in the six months to 4 July were £10.4m against £6.9m the previous year on turnover of £94.1m against £69m the same time a year ago. Including sales from licensees, the Umbro brand sold £195.1m of kit.

Worldwide sales of replica Chelsea shirts got a boost from the high-profile spending spree of Roman Abramovich. Chelsea spent the summer increasing its fan base with a US tour, but McGuigan said the club must win trophies to put its sales in the Manchester United league.