Winners in Action

The answer, more often than not, to the question 'have you ever owned a Maxply tennis racket?' is a 'yes' said with a smile that reflects happy memories of keenly fought games played almost anywhere in the world. And the reaction would likely be the same if the question was about either a Maxfli or 65 golf ball, a Slazenger tennis ball or Slazenger cricket bat.

Ever since the second half of the 19th century, when mainly the Victorians devised the rules and regulation for so many of today's major sports, the names Dunlop and Slazenger have been at the heart of their worldwide growth. Uniquely, in the sports equipment market, these two companies set up a chain of ball manufacturing plants and equipment sales organisations around the world, which combined with innovative local promotion activities, greatly accelerated the international development of so many sports - most notably cricket, golf and tennis.

A key factor in the success of both companies has been their ability to regularly develop ground-breaking new products. These provided the basis for ever better performance for the world's greatest champions and also the millions enjoying their tennis, squash, badminton, cricket and golf - not to mention hockey, croquet, billiards, archery, bowls, boxing, darts and many other sports, including 'American Rugger Football' featured in one of their Canadian catalogues shortly after the first world war.

In Winners in Action, Brian Simpson, describes how, over a period of nearly 200 years, the original companies that became Slazengers Ltd. and the sports division of the Dunlop Rubber Company became, as Dunlop Slazenger International of all the international sports businesses. And how the founders and managers of these companies, who saw the opportunities offered by the 19th century explosion of interest in sports of all kinds, made the development of exciting new products their priority.

The millions who enjoy playing and the billions who watch the great players will all find a great deal to interest them in this definitive history of a company - itself a major player in the world of sport.