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JACK MEETS...... FIDLER on the reusch
This month Jack Lynes, our man about the trade, has chatted with Bob Fidler and reminds us that it isn't just Cinderella who must go to the Ball. As ever, his report is not limited to the man he met, or even to the brand he represents. Watch out for the four P's that he recommends every bona-fide retailer should possess to prosper.
Sport has given us many adornments to the English language. One of the most common words of wisdom to those in trade or commerce is to ‘keep your eyes on the ball.' Of course this applies to golf, hockey, tennis and all manner of sport, but perhaps nowhere more so than to football. And for sure, the sports shop owner who fails to keep up to date with all that is going on will quickly score an ‘own goal'. Like most team players his success will be marked by the results in his balance sheet. His goal will be first, to stay in business and then to make a profit, the latter not being possible without achieving the former. A football match is often judged by the number of goals scored and certainly from an entertainment point of view it is the balls in the net that create the excitement and ‘Wow!' factor. Too often the glory goes to the guy who puts the ball beyond the goalie's reach and scores, and too little credit to the patient, athletic, fleet of foot, quick witted, Cinderella of the team, the goalkeeper. And it isn't only the spectators who neglect him. His team manager, certainly in the lower ranks of the game, while appreciating his usefulness, will often dress him up as a clown (well, not quite, but you get the drift) and give low priority to his kit.
Many local teams, junior or senior, get a ‘good deal' from their local sports store, from whom they purchase their team kits. Sometimes they may have restricted budgets but often they are sponsored and can, if encouraged, spend a little more. My meanderings about the fate of the goalie were stirred following this month's ‘Jack meets........' when I chatted at length with Bob Fidler (there really is only one ‘d') who distributes the reusch brand throughout the UK. Bob was, in his words, a "budding left-back" in his school football team. He became a ‘lifetime Blue' after his godfather took him to Maine Road, Manchester City's ground to watch an evening game against Arsenal. This was the season (1967/68) when they won the old First Division title for the first and only time in over thirty years. He must be watching their current progress with eager anticipation. Later at school, with a choice between rugby and lacrosse (which after a few house matches he somewhat changed his perception that the latter was ‘a game for girls') he chose rugby, and quickly was the school team's ‘loose head prop'. With three points for a try, the team lost their first three games 92-3, 72-0, and 52-0 so, he showed an early sense of sound business acumen in recognising "there was work to be done". Bob's early career was something of a stammer. Banking was a bore. Possible retail would have meant missing rugby due to Saturday working, (reminding me of the dilemma one always faced in the sports retail world of finding enthusiastic knowledgeable assistants to advise weekend customers when they would be expecting to be out there on the courts or field) but he was destined to have a career in the sports industry.
First stop in 1979 was Umbro International (Footwear) Ltd., who were then distributing adidas. From dealing with faulty returns, sometimes credited, sometimes repaired, he later progressed to the credit control department and then became an assistant to the National Sales Manager, attending sales conferences. Even though rather shy, he often covered for absent reps, surprised to find himself enjoying presenting ranges and taking orders, and was appointed Footwear rep in the North West area. It was the time when multiples were multiplying with JJB Sports, Allsports, and then JD Sports to the fore. His sales targets were the highest in the country but attained with ease. After a time with National Accounts, he was the first to look after just one account in adidas and as Olympus Account Manager spent as much time in their offices in Leicestershire as with adidas itself. Company policy was that managers should experience every aspect of the company, so from managing accounts it was managing people, responsible for a team of one key account manager and five reps. So to what business school did Bob go and what degree did he achieve? He went to the school of Work Experience and came out with the finest business degree of all, a First Class Honours in the RWW (Real Working World).
Redundancy came in 1993 and Bob's education continued. He took up the challenge to launch a Korean footwear brand called ‘Activ' of which he had never heard. The culture shock of transferring from a large corporate organisation to working for a tiny band of entrepreneurs was quite stunning and to put it mildly, it was not easy. At the London Marathon Exhibition, Bruce Bannister had found him some room on his stand there, and he befriended two rugby players showing what was then another unfamiliar brand, ‘View From'. Soon after, having met Brendan Foster, Bob was to have a new ‘View From' selling stint together with Brooks footwear.
A feather in the brand's hat was undoubtedly the exposure gained through sponsorship of the British Athletics Team. The risks associated with team football kits were no less then than now, as evidenced by their flirtation with QPR kit and replicas for which, thanks, or maybe no thanks, to his previous adidas association, he was made responsible, came to roost when they were relegated from the Premiership, sacked their manager and had to change their shirt sponsor. History was made when a patch was produced showing the new sponsor's name and stitched over the old one. So ended any link with football and the focus was only on running. And after four years, with a view to selling the ‘View From' brand to Marks and Spencer, Bob was himself left in the uncomfortable position of running out of work for just over a year. A time for more First Class Honours, this time in the RuWW ( Real unWorking World) I do not write this unkindly or with malice. Rather as a tribute to a man who has not simply picked himself up but now can rightly be regarded as a stalwart of the trade and able to offer, as will be realised as his story unfolds, through his product and service, a chance for every retailer to jump on a lucrative bandwagon. His journey with reusch has had its bumps along the way, and who can predict tomorrow, let alone the years ahead, but you will surely agree that both sets of the aforementioned First Class Honours will stand him in good stead, no matter what.
It looked like a great start to the new Millennium. February 1st, 2000. With the job title ‘Brand Manager' he heard from the head of reusch in Germany, who had employed him, that he was up and away to join Nike. reusch in the UK was based at Mitre HQ in Huddersfield. After several months in the doldrums, Bob set about rebuilding the brand with some TLC. Following Peter Schmeichel's departure it was somewhat lacking in recognition within the Pentland portfolio and Bob was told in February 2001 that the brand had been sold on to a consortium and that Pentland were looking to sell the UK distribution rights too. Somewhat hastily, Bob then agreed to set up his own company but alas and alack, acting in speed he was to repent at leisure and had to close in the summer of 2004.The saga appears to have resolved itself, perhaps more happily than might have been anticipated. Just over a year ago a company called Eurolight came on to the scene with distribution rights for Germany and the UK and under Bob's experienced and wise guidance, together with his team of seven agents, the UK is served well, with supplies emanating directly from a reusch warehouse near Rotterdam, in Holland.
Karl Reusch started making quality ski gloves in 1934, from a small workshop in Metzingen, Germany. Thirty nine years on, his son, Gebhard moved design into the football arena creating the first g/k glove with a rubber palm, closely cooperating with West German International Goalkeeper Sepp Maier, who wore them when the team won the 1974 World Cup, since when more goalkeepers have worn reusch gloves than any other in the majority of World Cups and European Championships. Thanks to the internet the small print technological features of products is attracting more interest from end users. Players are wanting to know what makes one item better than another. With their assortment of cuts, latexes, colours, technical features, and prices ranging from £8 -£80 (rrp) they have every pair of goalie's hands covered. Those who sell the product can swot up and discuss the why's and wherefores, justifying the price and explaining that wearability does not always coincide with efficiency. A team may all be kitted in Brand X, or no brand, there is, without a doubt, a growing market, of which every bona fide sports retailer should be a part, of players wanting to do their best and be safe. And knowing they are safe will enable them to do much better. Having the right glove, the fit and the one suitable for hard or soft grounds, the right shorts and protection, is all part of the process that can stop our competitors scoring into our goals.
P is for Promotion; P is for Product; P is for being Positive, and P is for Perseverance. Bob Fidler with reusch has all these and if you care to share them with him, and play your cards right, that extra P for Profit will surely come your way. Good keeping!
Jack welcomes your comments and is always glad to discuss your ideas, problems and concerns, either person to person, or in print.
If there is anyone you would like him to meet or any product to write about please contact the Editor or Jack (writeawayjack@aol.com) His articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers and are not ‘advertorials'. They are not seen prior to publication by any person or firm to whom they may refer.
