Football fans are one of the most devoted sports fans in the world. You don’t just show up for every match, participate in every discussion and debate, and defend your favourite club when the need arises. You also, naturally, wear the home kit.
A Liverpool home kit, like other home kits, may seem like simple shirts (or jerseys, as they’re called in the US). But they are more than just shirts.
A home kit is an outfit that the team plays in. It includes a football shirt, shorts and socks. In the Premier League, the clubs have three kits: home kit, away kit and a third kit. Three different kits serve a purpose other than variety.
The home kit is the main outfit of the team on match day. But if their colours look the same or resemble the other team’s or even the referees’ colours, they wear the away kit. If the away kit still matches or looks similar to the other team’s kit, then the third kit becomes the outfit on match day.
Changing into different kits avoids confusion on the field. Even the most dedicated fans might mistake one player on the opposing team if their kits have the same colours (or if their seats are really far).
Each season, teams might change the design of their kits, refreshing them to build fan anticipation; the main colours may figure prominently and the minor colours may be featured on sleeves or just as accents. Some teams may also introduce patterns, keeping their kits as interesting as possible.
Whatever the colours and the design, every kit is a celebration of the club’s heritage and a way to get fans excited for a new season.
To every fan, the football shirts, shorts and socks symbolise devotion to their beloved club.
To wear one on match day is to convey support and undisputed loyalty. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that these kits look absolutely smashing.
Many of the clubs in the Premier League have their kits manufactured by top sports brands. Liverpool FC, for instance, is from Nike. When you walk into a Liverpool store in Dubai, you’ll see the new home kit looking a bit more adventurous than usual with its angular yellow pinstripe pattern.
Other sports brands that manufacture home kits are Puma, Adidas and Umbro.
With home kits being made well and looking stylish, fans do wear them with pride. It is an unmistakable announcement to the world (or just the opposing team’s fans) that they support their hometown club or a renowned team in the League.
It is with this particular spirit that football fans strut into the stadiums, with their team’s flags and other souvenirs, energised by what their kits represent.
Although a well-designed home kit makes players look sharp on the field, it serves several other purposes.
Fans who put on their team’s home kit on match day do it because it allows them to be a part of the action on the pitch. Much like chanting or singing, wearing the home kit is a ritual.
Because everyone else on the stand is wearing the team’s colours, it creates a sense of unity. No matter what corner of the world you’re from, you’re part of a larger community that supports the same league. In a sense, the humble home kit has the power to bridge countries and cultures.
The kit allows different people from different backgrounds to belong. If only for a couple of hours, everyone in the stadium shares the same hopes and goals, and love of the game.
For some fans, wearing the home kit is more than belonging in a larger community.
Many fans have grown up with the same team. The kit can represent nostalgia, especially when a redesign gives a nod to the club’s old kits. For instance, the yellow pinstripe pattern on Liverpool FC’s home kit is an homage to the club’s 1983-84 football shirt. It was the season when Joe Fagan led the team to the First Division, League Cup and European Cup treble. If the fan was at that victorious match, that kit (and any kit that gives a nod to that history) becomes part of their personal story.
For the football clubs, the kits not only represent their identity and tradition. The outfits also provide a significant revenue stream. As financial support to a team, home kits can help with player development, team training and stadium improvements.
Although home kits symbolise fan devotion and loyalty, they also contribute to player confidence.
Professional looking kits help players in the 25 to 34 age group feel more confident about their game. Players in the 35 to 44 age group, meanwhile, increased confidence in their game when the other team’s home kits do not look as professional as their team’s – the assumption being that a poor-looking home kit (or an away kit and a third kit) indicates a weaker team.
Football clubs sell millions of home kits across the world. Some kits sell more than others. A few factors contributing to this demand include player popularity, limited edition kits, a successful season and design.
Which club is generating stellar revenue from their home kits?
In the Premier League, Liverpool FC are the highest ranked club, having generated €132 million from their Nike kits.
Home kits carry a big role in the world of football.
For the teams, these kits convey decades of history and honour a legacy. The colours, patterns and little touches represent the team’s identity and tradition, allowing them to stand out from the rest of the clubs in the league. And with the right design and quality, home kits also help players improve their game because looking professional heightens their confidence on the pitch.
For fans, the home kit serves as a significant connection to their favourite club and the community that supports the team. No matter what the outcome is at every match, fans know that wearing the home kit is a way of showing love for their team and the game.
