A League’s fashion faux pas finally over?

 
Bay35Pablo Roar Guru

By Bay35Pablo, 18 Oct 2009 Bay35Pablo is a Roar Guru

Tagged:
 , , , ,

15 Have your say

Related coverage



Can I finally bring myself to buy a Sydney FC shirt? Now, after 5 years of waiting, have they finally got their strip right, and I can invest? Sadly, no.

To my mind, they are harking back to those glory days of the 1980s when the Australian one day cricket team looked like they had been sweating bottle green from their armpits into their canary yellow (or Australian gold) shirts. That is, I don’t like the dark blue patches under the arm pits. However, they are getting close.

Football shirts are, of course, de rigeur clothing the world around.

Take a photo in a main street anywhere in the world, and you are likely to see a Manchester United or AC Milan jersey, be it in the streets of Manhattan or Kinshasa.

However, one thing you are unlikely to see is an A League shirt. Because they are only a small comp, and unknown? No, because they have been some of the ugliest football T shirts ever to be seen.

I was flicking the TV channel the other day only to catch some old 1990s English 1st division games, to be greeted by the adidas Liverpool shirts with the massive 3 stripes on the shoulder (and everyone wearing outfits about 16 sizes too big for them, what was with that?), or the yellow and black Arsenal away strip which looked like someone had thrown up.

Or it was meant to be one of those puzzles where you don’t focus your eyes, and eventually see a fish on a bicycle (never could see it). And I thought “Ugly. But still preferable to some A League strips …”.

This is of course, a broad sweeping statement, purely for the purposes of maximising the joke. However, this year has seen most of the teams in the competition with strips I actually like.

Previous years have had the odd team looking half presentable, in something you might not replace as soon as something better came along, but most were not the “classic” look that would see you being glared at jealously in 20 years time by greying fellow fans who let their wife sneak theirs into the Vinnies bag when they weren’t looking.

Why?

A number of reasons spring to mind. All of the strips are, of course, provided by the same manufacturer who tied up the supply deal at the beginning, doubtless on some long term contract that helped keep football out of bankruptcy.

However, that also seemed to ensure that the marketing and TV boys got to play fantasy football manager. You know, that bit where you get to pick your teams colours and strip, and go a little crazy because only you’ll ever see it? All of the clubs had to pick 3 colours, and that was about all the guide to go from. No real history (Perth Glory excepted) or 100 year old classics to live off. After all, that was the point of the A League, out with the “old soccer” and in with the “new football”. But that same process seemed to miss out the lesson learnt from overseas. The fans love the classics for their pride and glory.

The damning thing is that for most of the last 5 years the training strips the teams have worn have usually been better than their playing shirts.

Many a time I have looked forlornly for the Sydney training shirt in the shops, knowing the only way I was likely to get my hands on one would be to blag it in the Macquarie Uni training grounds car park while Steve Corica or Terry McFlynn had their backs turned while loading their car after a hard session.

The current season’s strips are, to my mind anyone, harking back to the “classics” from European (oh hell, Australian too) football. The stripes. The (relatively) clean colours. “Real” strips. Not a la the 1997 Reebok Wallabies heresy that should have been burnt along with the marketing git that came up with it.

Except the Fury’s shirt, and the armpits on Sydney. But I’m willing to overlook that.

While it might seem a little light weight to raise, at the end of the day this is what the clubs wear with (alleged) pride, and ask the supporters to fork out their hard earned at rather high prices for.

After all, the main reason I haven’t bought a Sydney FC top for 5 years of cheering on FC is I couldn’t look myself in the eye in the mirror and admit to myself I spent over $100 on a shirt I really didn’t like.

Not the colours, but the oblong here, running stripe there, Pablo Picasso on bad drugs designs that have tended to be churned out every year.

So this year, they almost got my hard earned. I look jealously at the Mariners and Glory’s old school stripes, and Adelaide’s clean red shirt (thinking how it would look better in sky blue with a different badge), and hope for next year.

So come on boys in the kit department, can we get it right next year so my wife can yell at my for buying another sports shirt I (allegedly) don’t need?

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.

Get a daily football email

Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it.

We value privacy. More.