The U.K. Journey

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate   –  

Carl Jung

It’s unimportant for one to think about the timing of making a conscious decision to create a life path reflects who one is, but what is important is The Force that is behind one’s decision making that is the manifestation of that timing. That Force defines the timing and whatever is made of it is a determining factor paving the way for an adventurous journey.. the creation of one’s destiny.

This brings me to the story of my journey in creating an innovative goalkeeping brand that aims to be the first in both exclusive and inclusive in the apparel and fashion sectors of the industry. There is a plethora of specific products in consideration for innovation that mirrors the brand image and culture that is currently undergoing a robust identity. Many ex-goalkeepers from the professional and amateur levels blessed with a fulfilling career naturally remain in the industry by means of taking up coaching careers or in many cases, creating their own branded product. Goalkeepers gloves are the obvious choice of branded products as it symbolises the epitome of goalkeeping’ opening the path for many independent goalkeeping brands to emerge over the past 20 years to compete with established brand like Reusch , Sondico, Adidas , Uhlsport to name a few. Although these brands continue to lead the market share, this has given rise to independent brands to explode into the market on the rationale that they too can provide innovation and value with their own creative ideas that reflect their brands, create more choices and above all be competitive in pricing. As I have discovered on my journey, anyone can create an innovative product that has the potential to sway the markets consciousness towards the brand, making it a magnet for future projects. For the brand to attract the markets consciousness, and identity must be established and this is one of the most fundamental objectives that is essential for success.

Extensive researches has been conducted between the major and independent brands and I still have a long way to go, but as the saying goes Every journey begins with a single step. Goalkeepers gloves happens to be the first step and I remember back in Nigeria when I was an eight year old boy, who couldn’t afford to buy a pair of goalkeeper gloves (my Dad especially detested me playing football), and I had to create the Uhlsport logo from a cloth and literally sew it to a pair of cotton gloves I found. One of my proudest moment that will never be forgotten and I made a promise to myself to create my very own pair in the future. Now I am approaching my fifties and one might ask .. isn’t it a bit too late in life to start a brand?  to which I would respond .. Age is an issue of mind over matter, if it doesn’t mind, it doesn’t matter.  With age based on experiences, come wisdom  and that can be very beneficial in determining the rate of accelerated accomplishments. This moment in time has been ordained as the right time for me to express my creativity and benevolence that is so much needed in today’s age where economic uncertainty and social unrest threatens the status quo. Without further ado, I will introduce to you the first prototype products from Ultimate Keeper

GG – Uno and GG – Due

A lot of thought and ideas went into this prototype, as I very well knew that the finished product was far beyond these specimens. But first I would like to give you an overview of what the labels mean and how they were formulated. GG is an acronym for “God Glove” which might sound crazy to some but it’s a know fact that to become a goalkeeper one must be of eccentric character and  crazy to think they can guard a 7.32m x 2.44m goalmouth. Well I’m guilty of those assessments which is a reflection my character in certain ways but the reason for the label is to infuse “The Force” within the individual who wears the gloves, creating self belief and harmony and in addition, Ultimate Keeper amplifies the experience of wearing them 10 fold. In my experience, wearing the right gloves that you believe in enhances your game and this explains why certain goalkeepers will only wear a particular brand of gloves, not because it is popular or “better”, but a distinctive message or ideology that the goalkeeper connects with. The Uno and Due (Italian numbers One and Two) is in honour of my fiancee who is italian and has had a major influence in getting this project started.  

I had to bring my vision into reality to evaluate every detail from the design idea, the quality and quantity of materials used, the attention to details and the packaging of the product. In conclusion we decided that a lot more work had to be done with a number of recommended alterations to be done and additional materials needed to be strategically incorporated in the gloves. I must say that going through the process of creating a product of value has galvanised my inner being to ensure that any Ultimate Keeper products will be of the highest ethical standards. This is why we’ve taken steps to make sure all our products are made in Pakistan, one of the major creative and industrialised nations which was recently ravaged with adverse weather conditions and flooding. Our objective is to create a brand based on traditional ethical values so we focus on supporting nations economy in the aftermath of natural disasters, instead of man made disasters that are politically driven. We will partner with the best manufacturers in the country to create the most exciting products that benefits everyone, including the consumer.

Conclusion

Our goal is reach an achievement of launching 20 products by the fourth quarter of 2023. These will be a plethora of goalkeeping and apparel wear for men, women and juniors. Currently steps are being taken to revamp the brand by taking inventory, seeking potential investors, website rebuild, partnership acquisitions etc. Our long term goals are to create a goalkeeping institution in Nigeria (first of its kind) to provide essential educational resources for the development of talented goalkeepers, present and future. This monumental project is a life long commitment that will expand around continental Africa and beyond.

If your dream doesn’t scare you, then it isn’t big enough and once you feel it from within.. it’s really scary! Compare the analogy with the story of Moses being instructed by God to get the isrealites out of Egypt. That was scary for Moses.. now I know how he felt..

You Are The Ultimate Keeper Of Your Destiny

Ultimate Keeper