For many football diehards, the release of their side’s new playing strip for the coming season is an exciting time of the year.
It presents a chance for buffs to catch a glimpse of what they can throw their money at once stock hits the shelves.
However, when Melbourne Victory unveiled their new away kit on Wednesday, they didn’t quite get the public response they might have expected.
The release of the A-League club’s essentially sky blue away strip caused a backlash from hordes of followers on social media, with fans sighting an uncomfortable resemblance of the kit to the colours of arch-rivals Sydney FC.
Certainly, the decision for Victory to switch to the light blue (some have defined the colour as turquoise) is a slightly peculiar one, given the two-time A-League champions have traditionally restricted their colours to navy blue, white and grey.
Aside from their previous away strip, which was fluoro yellow, the Victory have effectively distinguished their colours from any other side in the competition.
If we are to look at the reason for the change to light blue, it, quite depressingly, seems corporate reasons is a likely factor.
Emblazoned across Melbourne’s away strip is a sponsor whose logo features the same shade of blue eminent across the rest of the kit. Put two and two together and – bingo – one can imagine there is one very satisfied sponsor from all this.
Although the majority of comments on social media were highly negative towards the new strip, there were pockets of Victory fans expressing apathy over the decision, believing it to be a minor matter.
To downplay the importance of the colour change, however, is to undermine the significance that a side’s colours holds to their fans and, certainly, their very own identity.
We all know which fans we’re referring to when we say the ‘Black and White Army’ in an AFL setting.
Just imagine the uproar at Old Trafford if Manchester United switched to a light blue similar to their crosstown rivals, or if Real Madrid decided to don a scarlet and blue shirt for a season.
Put simply, Melbourne Victory’s colours are navy blue, and alternating them to a colour remarkably similar to a staunch rival is rightly seen as unacceptable.
Moreover, the fact Victory fans were not consulted whatsoever before the colours of the strip were announced is an indictment on the club’s management and, certainly, is indicative of a time period we live in where, simply, money talks.
Perhaps, at the very least, Melbourne could have taken a leaf out of the Newcastle Jets’ book and put the decision to an online vote.
Unfortunately, with mass production in progress, it all appears too late for anything to change now. Victory fans have little choice but to accept the new strip.
Hopefully next time, following this backlash from fans, the club’s management learns from their mistake and decides to incorporate their faithful’s views first.
In this corporatised world, though, I’m not holding my breath.
Melbourne Victory’s 2013/14 away kit.
James
Guest
13 game commitment, what bollocks. Away game away shirt, home game home shirt...simple. They all know the fixture well in advance. Just work it out. It reeks of afl.
Ben
Guest
Going to be akward when victory play Sydney FC, in Sydney. If victory a wearing the away shirt you won't be able to tell them apart. Poor victory. C'mon Sydney FC!!!
apaway
Roar Guru
Thank God for some good sense, Fussball. The strip is all white with a light blue V. It looks nothing like Sydney FC's home strip. I think it looks cool.
Bruiser
Guest
Can you please get off your egotistical, 'hard core supporter', Sydney FC jersey loving high horse? Your comments have been nothing but laughable and your tone is downright condescending and irritating. People like you ruin football in Australia.
J M
Roar Rookie
As a Sydney FC fan I'm not happy that they've taken our sky blue south of the border. There isn't a lot of history for A-league fans to cling to but our club colours are something we are very proud of. As a person who isn't a Victory fan I can find solace in the fact that their away kit is dreadful. Hopefully they don't need to wear the sky blue against SFC, otherwise it would make for a viewing nightmare.
Ian
Guest
Brisbane Roar will release their new strip soon and there will be 3 jerseys also. I'm sure you've got a twitter feed or seen the website anyway. There will be white in the new design.
Titus
Guest
I don't think their home kit clashes with any other home kits. The thing is though, I think when you have different sponsors on your away kit, there must be some kind of undertaking to wear the away kit a certain amount of times.
holly
Guest
how often do they really need to wear the away strip ?
James Shehan
Guest
The shirt itself doesn't look too bad but it's still a very odd decision. If it's really true that they went with light blue because of the sponsor then that makes it even worse. Should have gone with dark blue.
Brisvegas
Guest
Looks like an advertising billboard to me.
Jo
Guest
Loved last year's away strip. This year's in one word - horrible.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I don't like it and I am not a Victory supporter so I don't have to worry. All I care about when it comes to new attire is the choices my own club makes.
Stevo
Guest
Agree. We need to chime in with comments during Roar bloggers description of EPL games just to let them know we still care :)
Jukes
Guest
Absolute Gold
Jukes
Guest
Just wear your Fred Perry Fuss. You will be a right proper casual with a tennis cardigan on.
Titus
Guest
Not quite sure what it is but there is something I like about it.
Robbie
Roar Pro
When people are getting this geed up over the choice of away kit, it's clear that this is a long off-season....
Kasey
Guest
I'm happy to be wrong mate, I do dislike MBV, but as a fan, I generally want other football fans to get what they want from their clubs.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
I would be so much happier if we could get a Bordeaux style V, thinner and shollower We can't though because of the A-League logo, though half the other teams are able to get around the regulations
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Actually it’s probably slightly more than 50% as the clubs usually mandate certain games at home where the away kit is worn, to ‘push’sales." I'm afraid you're completely wrong on this - we have a commitment to play 13 games with the Away Shirt. Since our fluoro yellow clashed with NIX & CCM when we play these teams away we have to use the Home Shirt. Therefore, some home games require the Away Shirt - that's our fault for choosing Yellow for the Away Shirt. This away shirt will not clash with SFC when we play away.