Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999. Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and Vickers' brother William owned a steel rolling operation. Edward's investments in the railway industry allowed him to gain control of the company, based at Millsands and known as Naylor Vickers and Company, it began life making steel castings and became famous for casting church bells. In 1854 Vickers' sons Thomas and Albert joined the business and their considerable talents – Tom Vickers as a metallurgist and Albert as a team-builder and salesman – were key to its subsequent rapid development. "Its great architects," the historian Clive Trebilcock writes, "Colonel T. E. and Albert Vickers... provided both inspired technical leadership... and astute commercial direction. Both men were autocrats by temperament.

The company went public in 1867 as Vickers, Sons & Company and acquired more businesses, branching out into various sectors. In 1868 Vickers began to manufacture marine shafts, in 1872 they began casting marine propellers and in 1882 they set up a forging press. Vickers produced their first armour plate in 1888 and their first artillery piece in 1890. Vickers bought out the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilder The Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1897, acquiring its subsidiary the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company. At the same time, to become Sons & Maxim. Ordnance and ammunition made during this period, including World War I, was stamped V. S. M; the yard at Barrow became the "Naval Construction Yard". With these acquisitions, Vickers could now produce a complete selection of products, from ships and marine fittings to armour plate and a whole suite of ordnance. In 1901 the Royal Navy's first submarine, Holland 1, was launched at the Naval Construction Yard. In 1902 Vickers took a half share in the famous Clyde shipyard John Company.

Further diversification occurred in 1901 with the acquisition of a proposed business, incorporated as The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company and in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car. In 1911 a controlling interest was acquired in the torpedo manufacturers. In 1911 the company name was changed to Vickers Ltd and expanded its operations into aircraft manufacture by the formation of Vickers Ltd and a Vickers School of Flying was opened at Brooklands, Surrey on 20 January 1912. In 1919, the British Westinghouse electrical company was taken over as the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company. At the same time they came into Metropolitan's railway interests. A reorganisation during 1926 led to the retention of the rolling stock group: Metropolitan Carriage wagon and Finance Company and The Metropolitan -Vickers Company and the disposal of: Vickers-Petters Limited, British Lighting and Ignition Company, the Plywood department at Crayford Creek, Canadian Vickers, William Beardmore and Co, Wolseley Motors.

In 1927, Vickers merged with the Tyneside based engineering company Armstrong Whitworth, founded by W. G. Armstrong, to become Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. Armstrong Whitworth had developed along similar lines to Vickers, expanding into various military sectors and was notable for their artillery manufacture at Elswick and shipbuilding at a yard at High Walker on the River Tyne. Armstrongs shipbuilding interests became the "Naval Yard", those of Vickers on the west coast the "Naval Construction Yard". Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was not absorbed by the new company. In 1928 the Aviation Department became Vickers Ltd and soon after acquired Supermarine, which became the "Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd". In 1938, both companies were re-organised as Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. 1929 saw the merger of the acquired railway business with those of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon.

In 1960 the aircraft interests were merged with those of the Bristol, English Electric Company and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation. This was owned by English Electric and Bristol. BAC in turn owned 70% of Hunting; the Supermarine operation was closed in 1963 and the Vickers name for aircraft was dropped in 1965. Under the terms of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act BAC was nationalised in 1977 to become part of the British Aerospace group, which exists today in the guise of BAE Systems; the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act led to the nationalisation of Vickers' shipbuilding division as part of British Shipbuilders. These had been renamed Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders in 1955, changing again to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group in 1968; this division was privatised as Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd in 1986 part of GEC's Marconi Marine. It remains in operation to this day as BAE Systems Submarine Solutions. With their steelworking operations nationalised into British Steel Corporation the remnants of Vickers became Vickers plc.

In 1986, Vickers acquired the armaments manufacturer Royal Ordnance Factory, which became Vickers Defence Systems. Other acquisitions included automotive engineers Cosworth in 1990, waterjet manufacturer Kamewa in 1986 and

Pete Caringi is an American soccer coach, the head coach for UMBC Retrievers men's soccer. He was named the 2014 NSCAA Division I Coach of the Year. A former All-American and Three time captain, He played college soccer for the University of Baltimore. In 1973 they lost in the final four to Cal Fullerton, 1975 the Baltimore team won the NCAA National Championship in Seattle, he still holds the All-Time Record for goals with 70.[He signed for the Washington Diplomats in 1978. He is a member of the University of Baltimore athletic hall of fame. Caringi is a member of the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame, CCBC Athletic Hall of Fame, Region XX Hall of Fame,NJCAA National Soccer Hall of Fame and just was inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame Coaching career Head Coach: Highlight of his coaching career was American Professional Soccer League Champions in 1990 with the Maryland Bays; the Bays finished 20-5 sweeping thru the play-offs and winning the Finals against a good San Francisco Black Hawks team.

A former coach at Essex Community College He led Essex to seven JuCo championships and five Region XX Titles. His 84 and 89 teams played in the NJCAA National Finals, he was named NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 84 and 89. He has been the head coach of UMBC Retrievers soccer since 1991, he led UMBC to the NCAA Tournament in 99 and the 2nd Round in 2010,12,13 His 2014 College Cup semifinals, Caringi was named the NSCAA Division I Coach of the Year and the Soccer America Coach of the Year. UMBC bio

Kai Brünker is a German professional footballer who plays for SG Sonnenhof Großaspach, as a striker. Brünker is from Villingen. Brünker spent his early career in Germany with FC Kappel, SV Zimmern, FC 08 Villingen and SC Freiburg II, he turned professional with English club Bradford City in January 2018, signing an 18-month contract. He was signed by the club as support for Charlie Wyke, he made his debut for the club on 27 January 2018, appearing as a substitute in a 0–4 league defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon. On 12 April 2018, after Bradford's poor form, manager Simon Grayson suggested Brünker was close to making his first start for the club, he made his first start the next day, on 13 April 2018, in a 0-0 league draw at home to Shrewsbury Town. That month, he stated that he was becoming used to playing and living in England. Ahead of the 2018–19 season he stated he was looking forward to breaking back into the first team following an ankle injury at the end of the previous season and the appointment of Michael Collins as the new manager.

He scored his first goal for Bradford City in a 4–1 home defeat in the EFL Trophy on 9 October 2018. He described it as a "special moment", he left the club in January 2019, to return to Germany, signing for SG Sonnenhof Großaspach on a contract until June 2020. As of 23 February 2020