Slazenger

Slazenger
Company typePrivately held company (1881–1959)
Subsidiary (1959–85)
IndustrySports equipment, textile, footwear
Founded1881
FounderRalph and Albert Slazenger
Headquarters
Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Products
ParentDunlop Rubber (1959–85)
BTR plc (1985–99)
Frasers Group (2004–present)
Websiteslazenger.com

Slazenger (/ˈslæzəndʒər/) is a British sports equipment brand owned by the Frasers Group (formerly Sports Direct).[1] One of the world's oldest sport brands, the company was established as a sporting goods shop in 1881 by entrepreneurial brothers, Ralph and Albert Slazenger, on Cannon Street, London.[2] Slazenger was acquired by Dunlop Rubber in 1959. Dunlop was acquired by BTR in 1985. Sports Direct acquired the business in 2004.

Frasers Group offers a range of products under the Slazenger label, including equipment for cricket, field hockey, golf, swimming, and tennis, and a clothing line. Slazenger produced the official football match ball for the 1966 FIFA World Cup.[3]

Slazenger has the longest-running sporting sponsorship in the world, thanks to its association with the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, providing balls for the tournament since 1902.[4][5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference guard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ J. R. Lowerson, 'Slazenger, Ralph (1845–1910)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 17 Jan 2014
  3. ^ "The Footballs during the FIFA World Cup". Football Facts. FIFA. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Wimbledon: Official Partners". Wimbledon.com. Retrieved 6 June 2024. Part of the longest partnership in sporting goods history, Slazenger has been the Official Supplier of tennis balls to The Championships since 1902.
  5. ^ "A 115-year-old tale of sport's surviving sponsorships". Inside Sport. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2022.