Club identity/wearing away and 3rd kit unnecessarily

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Hi OUSP,

I mentioned this in the match day thread yesterday too. One thing I really hate about modern football is clubs wearing change strips unnecessarily like we did yesterday. A clubs identity is more important than anything and our club colours of yellow and dark blue should be worn whenever possible in my opinion, especially when travelling to different parts of the country.

To define unnecessarily, this season the away kits should have/be worn only when playing away against Cambridge and Burton and possibly against Shrewsbury and Wimbledon as they have large-ish areas of yellow and amber on their kits. For all other games yellow should be worn.

I appreciate its more nuanced than that, for example I'm aware of the nonsense around the colour of the home keepers kit (like we saw against Swindon last season) but if the officials get a keeper mixed up with an outfield player they shouldn't be officiating! I also appreciate the commercial side of things but I feel the clubs identity is more important than that and profits from shirt sales probably don't even cover one players annual wage. The new investment coming should help I'm that respect.

Would it be possible for OUSP to agree with the club that change strips will only be worn in instances of a yellow/orange colour clash in recognition that the clubs identity is important?

Something worth discussing at least?

 

[MJB]

To play devil’s advocate, I’m really not bothered as a fan and if it leads to extra revenue from shirt sales from those who choose to buy, then that’s all good with me.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Hi OUSP,

I mentioned this in the match day thread yesterday too. One thing I really hate about modern football is clubs wearing change strips unnecessarily like we did yesterday. A clubs identity is more important than anything and our club colours of yellow and dark blue should be worn whenever possible in my opinion, especially when travelling to different parts of the country.

To define unnecessarily, this season the away kits should have/be worn only when playing away against Cambridge and Burton and possibly against Shrewsbury and Wimbledon as they have large-ish areas of yellow and amber on their kits. For all other games yellow should be worn.

I appreciate its more nuanced than that, for example I'm aware of the nonsense around the colour of the home keepers kit (like we saw against Swindon last season) but if the officials get a keeper mixed up with an outfield player they shouldn't be officiating! I also appreciate the commercial side of things but I feel the clubs identity is more important than that and profits from shirt sales probably don't even cover one players annual wage. The new investment coming should help I'm that respect.

Would it be possible for OUSP to agree with the club that change strips will only be worn in instances of a yellow/orange colour clash in recognition that the clubs identity is important?

Something worth discussing at least?

It also annoys me when clubs with well known or classic kits don’t wear them against us! At least Bristol Rovers did last week after a few years of not doing so. I appreciate the argument about advertising away shirts but would ask at least that the away kit is worn completely- black or yellow shirts with white shorts looks terrible.

 

[Manorlounger]

Hi OUSP,

I mentioned this in the match day thread yesterday too. One thing I really hate about modern football is clubs wearing change strips unnecessarily like we did yesterday. A clubs identity is more important than anything and our club colours of yellow and dark blue should be worn whenever possible in my opinion, especially when travelling to different parts of the country.

To define unnecessarily, this season the away kits should have/be worn only when playing away against Cambridge and Burton and possibly against Shrewsbury and Wimbledon as they have large-ish areas of yellow and amber on their kits. For all other games yellow should be worn.

I appreciate its more nuanced than that, for example I'm aware of the nonsense around the colour of the home keepers kit (like we saw against Swindon last season) but if the officials get a keeper mixed up with an outfield player they shouldn't be officiating! I also appreciate the commercial side of things but I feel the clubs identity is more important than that and profits from shirt sales probably don't even cover one players annual wage. The new investment coming should help I'm that respect.

Would it be possible for OUSP to agree with the club that change strips will only be worn in instances of a yellow/orange colour clash in recognition that the clubs identity is important?

Something worth discussing at least?

I said as much yesterday to Mrs Lounger at the game and the chap in front turned and agreed, as did his friend/partner sat next to him. I don't get the need for a change when there is no clash of colour.
I'll mention it to my alter ego.

 

[Essexyellows]

It's not, completely, the club's choice especially when TV cameras are in attendance as well.

• When away from home a Club shall play in a registered kit which is (shirts, shorts, and socks) clearly distinguishable from those of their opponents. The League reserves the right to relax this requirement in respect of shorts where appropriate and after consultation with match officials. In circumstances where an ‘away’ Club cannot wear any of its kits without causing a potential kit clash, that Club shall be able to wear any combination of its registered kit in order to avoid the potential kit clash. Where both Clubs request to play in the same, or similar, coloured shorts then an application to do so shall be made to the appointed match referee whose consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
• Upon receipt of the match official appointments it is the responsibility of both Home and Away Clubs to provide the Match Referee and their opponents with details of the colours of shirts, shorts and socks of both outfield players and goalkeeper to ensure that any issues can be addressed before the match date.
• The colour of the Goalkeeper’s shirt must, in all cases, be clearly distinguishable from the colours of the shirts worn by the Match Officials and all other Players.

 

[MarkG]

It's not, completely, the club's choice especially when TV cameras are in attendance as well.

• When away from home a Club shall play in a registered kit which is (shirts, shorts, and socks) clearly distinguishable from those of their opponents. The League reserves the right to relax this requirement in respect of shorts where appropriate and after consultation with match officials. In circumstances where an ‘away’ Club cannot wear any of its kits without causing a potential kit clash, that Club shall be able to wear any combination of its registered kit in order to avoid the potential kit clash. Where both Clubs request to play in the same, or similar, coloured shorts then an application to do so shall be made to the appointed match referee whose consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
• Upon receipt of the match official appointments it is the responsibility of both Home and Away Clubs to provide the Match Referee and their opponents with details of the colours of shirts, shorts and socks of both outfield players and goalkeeper to ensure that any issues can be addressed before the match date.
• The colour of the Goalkeeper’s shirt must, in all cases, be clearly distinguishable from the colours of the shirts worn by the Match Officials and all other Players.

Factoring in the colour blind as well.

 

[Scotchegg]

To play devil’s advocate, I’m really not bothered as a fan and if it leads to extra revenue from shirt sales from those who choose to buy, then that’s all good with me.

I have to agree. Yellow at home goes without saying. The black strip we wore yesterday is identified as the away shirt and I have no issue with that or the white and blue 3rd kit being worn. And it all helps the marketing and shirt sales which is essential at a club with limited revenue streams.

Rather than taking every individual concern to the Supporters Panel, I'd like to see some work done to survey a wider sample of our fans to see what matters to them. I respects others views, but this would be a long way down my priority list of things to change.

 

[Oxymoron]

The colour of the Goalkeeper’s shirt must, in all cases, be clearly distinguishable from the colours of the shirts worn by the Match Officials and all other Players.

Had this discussion at the Bristol Cup Game when both GKs wore green - although Eastwood may have sported a fetching chartreuse ensemble whilst Belshaw was clad in mint....

 

[OX14]

The 3rd shirt is better then the away shirt anyways Its that good I've ordered the whole kit for my son for Xmas. I wouldn't of bothered with the other 2 kits as he already has last seasons home kit. I don't see a problem with having 3 kits.

 

[battman]

To define unnecessarily, this season the away kits should have/be worn only when playing away against Cambridge and Burton and possibly against Shrewsbury and Wimbledon as they have large-ish areas of yellow and amber on their kits. For all other games yellow should be worn.

I absolutely get your point, but we as a club are in a rarer position than others when it comes to the necessity of change strips. We're in the fortunate position where we can more often than not choose which colour kit to wear, and yellow does still pop up away from home from time to time.

Last season, the kits were as follows:

Home (Yellow): 33
Away (Yellow): 6
Away (Orange): 6
Away (White): 13

So it's not like we're doing away with yellow completely.

In total, if we changed against the sides that we'd clash with in your list, that'd be 4 games in a 46 game season where a different kit would be used, and 51 once you factor in a minimum of 1 EFL Cup game, 1 FA Cup game and the 3 Pizza Trophy games. 4 times, over a course of a season, is very low.

If we did revert to that, you can say goodbye to the club selling third kits, meaning one revenue stream is gone. (Why would fans want to buy a kit we'll never wear?) And if we used an away kit such a small amount of times in a season, it wouldn't be worth selling a new away kit every year. This would have significant cost implications for the club on a commercial standpoint. It'd mean we'd see the club playing in yellow a few less times per season, but we'd be in a stronger financial position when it comes to self-sustainability. I know what it'd prefer.

 

[TailsWeWin]

Anything except yellow shirts, white shorts please

 

[Osei Yaw]

Anyone remember when we played Torquay at home and they wore yellow because we had the Bridle Insurance sponsored kit with blue down the middle?

What an absolute disgrace that was. When the players emerged from the tunnel I'm not afraid to say that I showed my displeasure with quite an audible 'tut' as well as a robust shake of the head.

 

[SteMerritt]

The questions you need to ask are...

1) How much does the club actually make from kit sales?

2) How much is the club identity and wearing Yellow worth?

For what it's worth, I'm quite a traditionalist and would rather have us play in Yellow and Blue for as many games as possible, but sometimes you have to be a touch more pragmatic if the alternative is lucrative for the club.

 

[OX14]

The questions you need to ask are...

1) How much does the club actually make from kit sales?

2) How much is the club identity and wearing Yellow worth?

For what it's worth, I'm quite a traditionalist and would rather have us play in Yellow and Blue for as many games as possible, but sometimes you have to be a touch more pragmatic if the alternative is lucrative for the club.

Next season I think the home shirt needs to be a bit more adventurous like the 3rd kit.

 

[Horse]

I thought our black shirts were too similar to Ipswich’s dark blue. It’s quite a bizarre choice.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I quite like the black shirt as a design. But I do agree that we ought to wear yellow and blue at every possible opportunity, it's a huge component of who we are. And never with white shorts. If we can't wear blue, then yellow shorts.

 

[Colin B]

I quite like the black shirt as a design. But I do agree that we ought to wear yellow and blue at every possible opportunity, it's a huge component of who we are. And never with white shorts. If we can't wear blue, then yellow shorts.

Absolutely this!

I would suggest "managing" what colours we're going to wear during each close season and then inform fans that we will always wear yellow at home, and that we'll also wear it at (for instance) two thirds of our away games. That would mean about 8 to 10 games for our away shirt and third kit between them. This enables people who like to buy replica kit(s) to either go for the classic OUFC yellow, or one of the other two kits, which might then take on something of a cache and appeal to fans who like something a little different.

I do think, as one of only a few clubs that wear yellow, we should wear it as much as possible, it's who we are, but NEVER with white shorts! Having said all of this I'm not a replica shirt wearer myself, but come from the perspective of somebody who's proud of our identity, and our identity is yellow and blue, so I want to see it as much as possible.

 

[Sarge]

Absolutely this!

I would suggest "managing" what colours we're going to wear during each close season and then inform fans that we will always wear yellow at home, and that we'll also wear it at (for instance) two thirds of our away games. That would mean about 8 to 10 games for our away shirt and third kit between them. This enables people who like to buy replica kit(s) to either go for the classic OUFC yellow, or one of the other two kits, which might then take on something of a cache and appeal to fans who like something a little different.

I do think, as one of only a few clubs that wear yellow, we should wear it as much as possible, it's who we are, but NEVER with white shorts! Having said all of this I'm not a replica shirt wearer myself, but come from the perspective of somebody who's proud of our identity, and our identity is yellow and blue, so I want to see it as much as possible.

Seconded

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Good to see us wearing yellow tonight!

The argument that the third strip is a major income stream isn't correct, I doubt shirt sales cover even one players wage for the season. We can do without it.

 

[stokeu]

For what it's worth, I'm quite a traditionalist and would rather have us play in Yellow and Blue for as many games as possible,

surely traditionalist is not yellow and blue....