Two non-league footballers have turned their focus to a sportswear company.

Ex-Dover manager Mitch Brundle and former Lydd player-boss James Rogers, who finished the 2023/24 season together with the Lydders, have joined forces off the field through MPR Sports.

Brundle, a former midfielder at Dover, Braintree, Gateshead and Barnet, said: “I have started maybe four or five seasons without having our own tracksuits and things similar to that.

“What better way to make sure I have got my own one? It’s unbelievable quality.

“I know what it’s like as a footballer to not have your match-day tracksuit or to not have your proper kit when the season or pre-season starts.

“So, I wanted to dip into a little niche in the market and make sure that everyone gets their kit on time.”

Offering “Premier League kits at non-league prices”, MPR Sports kit has been worn by Lydd and Ashford & District League side Market Hotel at Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium this year.

Various youth-team sides are also set to use MPR Sports attire.

“We’ll do everything - tracksuits, match-day kits, training kits, socks and grip socks,” Brundle said. “It’s everything that you can think of regarding sportswear that you will need in a football team.

“We’ve had kit used in a Kent Cup Final and [for Lydd] against Deal. It’s pretty much the same as what everyone else is buying but we want to make sure that we deliver for when it’s asked for.

“That means a lot to a footballer. I want the players to have it from the start.”

Brundle, who likened what they are trying to do to Italian sportswear company Erreà, says more than 100 kits have already been delivered. MPR Sports have an agreement in principle with a Championship club for some of their sides to use it, too.

“Because it’s ready, they can have it straight away,” he said. “Between two and three weeks will be our delivery time.

“We’ve made sure everything is ready before the season starts.

“Obviously, every business has to make money. But it’s not a money-churner, it’s nothing to do with that.

“It’s just what I know footballers want and the best value for money on the market.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure the kids that are less fortunate, kids without a good financial background - like I didn’t have - can feel involved in a football club and have all the T-shirts and all the tracksuits.

“We will try to do deals if someone cannot afford it. I know there’s even League 1 and League 2 Academies, where the parents have to pay for kit.

“It’s not solely ‘How many kits can we sell, how much money can we make?’ We’re trying to do it in a way where we can help every single person.”

Brundle said: “The more kits we can order, the cheaper we can make it for each club.

“If a club’s youth team all use that kit, we can then look at sponsoring the first team. That’s the outcome we all want.

“The more kits that get done, the more kits that get sold, the more we can cut down the price.”

Search for MPR Sports on Instagram or @MPR_Sports2024 on X to find out more details.

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