For over 125 years, Bukta has been worn by FA Cup and Rugby Union teams. The brand’s heritage dates back to 1879, when it was established by Edward Buck and Sons.
Nottingham Forest were the first team to take the plunge and wear their kit in 1884 and throughout the 1930’s they supplied kits to the majority of Division 1 sidesBukta has been proudly worn by sport icons including George Best, Bobby Charlton, and Jimmy Greaves. It has also dressed top UK football clubs including Manchester United. Bukta is moving away from its functional sports roots and is now focused on becoming a fashion brand. Due to famous football legends wearing the brand, Bukta was popular in the 1970's and 80's.Ajax even wore Bukta winning those European Cups in 1971/72/73.
Buck's Shirt Factory
As part of the movement promoted locally especially by Lord Vernon to provide more textile work Mr. Edward Robinson Buck, already a shirt manufacturer in Manchester, leased from Lord Vernon about 1885 a building dated 1874, previous use unknown. This was at Woodside near to the main railway connection with the collieries and east of the coal yard on London Road North. It is now occupied mainly by Baxter, Woodhouse, Taylor and Go.
and has been extensively altered over the years. At first less than 30 people were employed in making up sports shirts, the girl machinists using manually operated treadle sewing machines and paying for their own sewing cotton. They were paid on piece work. After a few years other items of sports wear such as shorts, blazers and trousers were made.
In 1895 Lord Vernon paid over £351 for an extension to the factory and supplied water as well as gas for lighting at a special cheap rate.
In 1896 E R Buck is listed as a Poynton resident at Oakfield at Midway but later lived elsewhere. The firm pioneered the making of scout and guide uniforms for the movement started in 1908 and 1910 and this led them to provide hospital and tropical uniforms and underwear during the First World War 1914-18. Before this war girls started at 14 and were paid 5s a week for the first four weeks, and after that were on piece work. Until the early 1920s, when the firm employed about 130, each girl made up a whole garment but later small groups of four or six working in a production line carried out the separate stages.
The firm had become E.R. Buck and Sons by 1910 and in 1923 is listed as a limited company, still having offices and a wholesale department at Hilton Street. In the 1920s the amounts paid for piece work were small - 41/2d for a blazer, 5d for shorts, 7d to 1s 2d for trousers and 1s per dozen for football shorts. A gas engine was installed in the 1920s and conveyer belts used in the production line. In the sale of the Vernon Estate in 1920.
the factory, then on a lease until 1931, is described thus and with its land occupied 1/5 acre "A brick and tiled Building: contains two Floors, providing the following accommodation:- on the Ground Floor warehouse about 36' by 31', Cutting Room about 31' by 15'6" and Stock Room. On the First Floor, Machine Room Finishing Room and Pressing Room". The factory was bought by Bucks at the sale.
Many different types of powered machinery had been introduced by this time for sewing of various types, button holing, making eyelets and pressing. About 200 were then employed, their hours from 8 am to 6 pm, with a 4 pm finish in winter. There was sometimes also evening work.
The trade name BUKTA had now become well known together with the flying buck which was used as its motif. A report in 1934 mentions a further possible extension and notes that some of the firm's fine equipment was used in an attempt to climb Mount Everest. In 1943 the factory in Poynton was closed and the work removed to a large modern factory at Brinksway in Stockport where members of the same family ran it till 1982 when a consortium headed by Sir Hugh Fraser took it over. The company for long arranged an annual outing for its workers to a famous resort. A photograph survives showing one such trip about to set off from Poynton Place in the 191Os. Many employees stayed for their full working lives with the firm.
Bukta Today
You won't have seen the label in stores for over 6 years but now millions of pounds have been spent to re-launch the brandThe brand has been aimed at up-market independent stores such as Selfridges and has been back on sale in stores since January 2005. It's aim is to extend into womens clothing and accessories in the near future.
Bukta offers a complete range of men sportswear tailored for the tough life at every stitch and seam. Acclaimed by professional and amateur alike for style and stamina in sport and leisure, Bukta is still going strong.
The Cavden Group provides in-house design of clothing and accessories, and distributes the brand to selected retailers and agents throughout the UK and Europe.
Bukta moments
1879 Edward Buck and Sons begin trading. Bukta’s production in 1879 was taken up almost entirely making shorts for the soldiers fighting the Boer War.
1884 Football - Nottingham Forest pictured wearing Bukta kit
1907 Scout movement - The historic gathering at Browsea Island, Poole Harbour takes place, hosted by Lord Baden Powell and marking the beginning of the scout movement. Bukta supply all uniforms and camping equipment for the gathering.
1909 Scout movement - Sea Scouts formed. Bukta supply uniforms
1914 Other - Bukta provide underwear and hospital and tropical uniforms during WW1
1933 Football - Bukta once again kit out supply both FA Cup, as they have done since 1920
1938 Company - E.R. Buck and Sons move to larger premises in Stockport
1971 Football - Ajax, captained by Johan Cruyff, win the first of three consecutive European Cups, wearing Bukta
1972 Promotional - A half hour BBC documentary is dedicated to Bukta as part of the Made in Britain series
1972 Winter sports sales account for 60% of Bukta business.
