Castore
British sportswear brand known for performance apparel, teamwear and international sports sponsorships.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Castore is a British sportswear and athletic-clothing brand operated by J. Carter Sporting Club Limited and headquartered in Manchester, England. It was founded in 2015 by brothers Tom Beahon and Phil Beahon, former athletes who combined sporting experience with careers in finance and professional services to develop a premium performance-apparel business. Castore initially pursued a direct-to-consumer, online-led model and sought to distinguish itself through technical fabrics, streamlined design and an association with elite sport. The founders had both competed in sport before entering finance. Tom Beahon had been involved in professional and academy football, including time connected with Tranmere Rovers and the Glenn Hoddle Academy, while Phil Beahon played semi-professional cricket in Cheshire and Lancashire. After moving to London in 2013, Tom worked at Lloyds Bank and Phil at Deloitte. They used this period to conduct market research among customers of high-end gyms and to develop relationships with investors from the fashion and sporting sectors. Castore launched online in 2016, and the founders were recognised by Forbes in its 30 Under 30 listing in 2019. A major early breakthrough came through tennis. In January 2019 Castore became the official kit partner of Andy Murray, its first major athlete sponsor. Murray subsequently became a shareholder, and the relationship expanded through the AMC performance and lifestyle range. Castore also became an apparel partner of the Lawn Tennis Association. This association helped give the young company visibility beyond online retail and established a template in which the brand combined technical products with high-profile sporting partnerships. Castore raised £7.5 million from private investors in early 2020 to support expansion into elite professional football. Its teamwear business then grew rapidly across football, rugby union, cricket, motorsport, golf and snooker. A five-year agreement with Rangers was announced in 2020, followed by partnerships with clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Sevilla, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, Everton and others. The company also moved into national-team and governing-body relationships, including the Football Association of Ireland, England cricket, Cricket West Indies, South Africa cricket, New Zealand Cricket and England Rugby. Castore’s motorsport portfolio has included McLaren in Formula One, Red Bull Racing and Repsol Honda in motorcycle racing, with later teamwear relationships involving Alpine and Haas referenced in company coverage. Its broader sports activity includes golf apparel, a relationship with LIV Golf team Majesticks GC, and apparel supply for selected World Snooker Tour events. The brand’s growth has also brought operational and product scrutiny. In 2023 Aston Villa players and supporters criticised a Castore shirt because it reportedly absorbed sweat, became heavy and changed appearance during play. The issue affected both the men’s and women’s teams, and Aston Villa ultimately ended the arrangement and moved to Adidas. The episode highlighted the technical and reputational risks involved when a fast-growing supplier serves elite teams under intense public attention. Castore remains a private, internationally expanding sportswear company whose identity rests on performance apparel, digital commerce and sponsorship-led distribution. Its products are sold internationally, while its commercial model continues to rely heavily on partnerships with clubs, national teams, athletes and sporting competitions.
History
Castore was established in 2015 by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon. Both founders had sporting backgrounds: Tom had pursued football through professional youth and academy environments, while Phil played cricket at a semi-professional level. They left their playing ambitions in 2013 and moved to London, where they worked in finance and professional services while researching the sportswear market and raising capital. Their research focused in part on consumers of premium gyms and performance-oriented clothing. The brand launched online in 2016. Its early proposition combined technical athletic garments with a premium, understated aesthetic and a direct-to-consumer distribution model. In 2019 Forbes included the founders in its 30 Under 30 programme. That year also marked a major commercial step when Andy Murray became Castore's first major athlete partner. Murray later invested in the business, and Castore developed the AMC line around the relationship. The company additionally became an apparel partner of the Lawn Tennis Association. Castore began accelerating its teamwear business in 2020. It raised £7.5 million from private investors and signed a reported five-year agreement with Rangers. The company used football partnerships to broaden awareness and to build recurring institutional demand for match kits, training wear and replica products. Its football expansion continued through partnerships with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Sevilla, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht, FC Twente, Everton and other clubs across the United Kingdom and continental Europe. The company diversified beyond football. In cricket, it entered arrangements with Cricket West Indies, the England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa, Kent County Cricket Club, Worcestershire and New Zealand Cricket. In rugby union, it partnered with Saracens, Bath, Harlequins and Leicester Tigers, later adding relationships involving Hong Kong rugby and England Rugby. In motorsport, Castore became an apparel partner of McLaren's Formula One team and later supplied or partnered with other major racing organisations, including Red Bull Racing and Repsol Honda. Golf and snooker supplied additional categories and visibility. This rapid expansion exposed the brand to the demanding quality standards of professional sport. In 2023 Aston Villa players and fans criticised a shirt that reportedly absorbed excessive sweat, changed colour and became heavy during play. The complaints affected the women's team particularly strongly because of the garment's fit and wet-weight characteristics. Castore supplied a revised kit, but Aston Villa ultimately ended the multi-year relationship and switched to Adidas. The incident became one of the most visible challenges in Castore's growth story. Castore has remained privately held. Publicly described shareholders have included the founders, Monte Group, Andy Murray and investors from fashion, advertising, technology and industrial businesses. The company has continued to pursue international distribution, retail and licensing opportunities, including an announced Dublin store and a European Umbro Professional Team Sports licensing arrangement. Its history is therefore defined by a short period of rapid development from online start-up to multinational teamwear supplier, supported by sponsorships but tested by the operational demands of outfitting elite athletes.
- 2024
Umbro professional-team licensing arrangement
[1]Castore secures an exclusive European distribution and licensing arrangement for Umbro Professional Team Sports.
- 2023
Irish retail expansion announced
[1]Castore announces its first Irish store in Dublin.
- 2021
Expansion into Premier League and rugby
[1]The company announces agreements with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Saracens.
- 2020
Capital raise and Rangers agreement
[1]Castore raises funds for elite-football expansion and becomes Rangers' kit partner.
- 2019
Andy Murray partnership
[1]Andy Murray becomes Castore's first major sponsored athlete, with the relationship later extending to the AMC range.
- 2016
Online launch
[1]Castore begins selling its sportswear through an online-led model.
- 2015
Castore is founded
[1]Tom and Phil Beahon establish the British sportswear company.
Products and positioning
Premium, technical sportswear positioned around elite performance, modern design and direct relationships with professional athletes and sports organisations.
Athletic apparel · 2016
Performance sportswear
Castore's core range consists of technical training and performance garments designed for athletes and active consumers. The assortment includes tops, shorts, leggings, outerwear and related training pieces, generally presented around lightweight construction, moisture management and a premium contemporary visual identity.
Football apparel · 2020
Football teamwear
Football is one of Castore's most important commercial categories. The company supplies match shirts, shorts, socks, training apparel and replica merchandise for clubs and national teams. These partnerships connect technical supply contracts with supporter-facing retail and provide the brand with prominent visibility during domestic and international competitions.
Tennis apparel · 2019
AMC by Castore
AMC is the product identity developed around Andy Murray's relationship with Castore. It represents performance and lifestyle tennis clothing associated with Murray and helped establish Castore's credibility in elite individual sport.
Cricket teamwear · 2019
Cricket apparel
Castore supplies playing, training and support apparel for cricket organisations and teams. Its cricket portfolio has included national governing-body relationships and county-level partnerships, giving the brand exposure across international and domestic cricket.
Rugby teamwear · 2021
Rugby apparel
The rugby range covers match kits, training wear and associated team apparel. Castore has used partnerships with leading club and national rugby organisations to establish a presence in rugby union alongside its football and cricket businesses.
Motorsport apparel · 2021
Motorsport teamwear
Castore's motorsport offering includes team apparel and branded sportswear created for Formula One and motorcycle-racing partnerships. The category extends the brand into a high-visibility technical environment where team identity, replica demand and performance-oriented construction overlap.
Controversies
2023
Aston Villa shirt quality controversy
Aston Villa players and supporters criticised Castore's shirt after reports that it became saturated with sweat, visibly changed colour and grew heavy and uncomfortable during matches. The problem was especially discussed by the women's team. A replacement design did not prevent the club from ending the partnership and moving to Adidas.
Brand decisions
2024
Expand through professional-team licensingStrategyBackground
Castore sought to extend its reach beyond its own branded products and deepen its European team-sports distribution capabilities.
Action taken
The company secured an exclusive arrangement with GL Dameck to distribute Umbro Professional Team Sports products in selected European markets.
Aftermath
The arrangement broadened Castore's role in teamwear distribution and licensing.
2020
Accelerate expansion into elite team sportStrategyBackground
Castore raised private capital and sought to move from primarily online consumer sales into recurring professional teamwear contracts.
Action taken
The company used new funding to pursue football and other elite-sport partnerships, beginning with a major Rangers kit agreement.
Aftermath
Castore expanded rapidly across football, cricket, rugby and motorsport, becoming a substantial international teamwear supplier.
Capital raised. £7.5 million (Early 2020)
2019
Use a major athlete partnership to build brand credibilityStrategyBackground
Castore was still a young online sportswear business seeking recognition in a crowded performance-apparel market.
Action taken
The company signed Andy Murray as its first major sponsored athlete and developed the AMC product identity around the relationship.
Aftermath
The partnership increased Castore's visibility in tennis and was followed by Murray becoming a shareholder and by an apparel relationship with the Lawn Tennis Association.
Recent events
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