True Colours?

17 October 2011 19:43
One of our correspondents is getting annoyed with the identity crisis some Scottish clubs seem to be having at the moment. Sick of seeing your team playing in unfamiliar colours? Then read on.

Is it just me or are other football fans getting slightly annoyed with their team, or just teams in general, playing in their 2nd/away kit when there is absolutely no need for them to do so? We know the club and international shirt as leisurewear has been a popular part of football culture since the mid to late 70's and even the most overweight of middle aged men (myself included) ,who should know better than wear the latest football shirt creation, looks forward to a new kit launch, now a yearly occurrence it would seem at almost every League club in the UK. In Scotland, this season there seems to be a new trend of many clubs wearing their traditional colours at home and the change colours at EVERY away game whether there is a colour clash or not. Could Celtic be struggling currently because they never seem to wear their proud green and white hoops outside Parkhead these days? It's just a theory but The Bhoys seem to have a real identity crisis at the moment. The draw against Killie after being 3-0 down, the defeat at Hearts and the losses at Sion (reversed by UEFA) and Athletico Madrid have all featured an almost unrecognisable Celtic side wearing a kit that I can only describe as the worst in Tiger print fashion from the 1970's. The current Celtic away shirt would not look out of place in a video from Rod Stewart's Disco years, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?'' 'Fraid not, not in that kit anyway. It is not befitting of the first British European Cup winners in my humble opinion. I would like to add I am not a Celtic fan, I just like Celtic and other Scottish teams to play mostly in their traditional colours. Hibernian made much play of their new variation on their traditional green shirts with white sleeves at the start of the season. Styled by Puma and featuring what looks like a tribute to the Easter Road slope on the front of the 2011/12 shirt it seemed to get a positive response from the Leith faithful. On Saturday against Motherwell Hibs played in LILAC shirts with black shorts and socks, this seemed to tie in with a special 'buy two items of kit and get one free' at the Hi-bees club shop. Hibs maybe need the money at the moment what with falling attendances and the spectre of relegation looming but with Motherwell electing to wear their all grey away kit (not really required at Easter Road) anyone of a traditionalist persuasion or who might have been new to Scottish football could have been forgiven for thinking they were watching an Italian Serie 'B' game at the start of play. Lower down the divisions Cowdenbeath have worn a Brazil -style away kit for the last dozen years. OK, we know it all ties in with the tragi-comedic 'Blue Brazil' moniker the Cowden fans adopted for their team but with yellow now worn about as much as blue by the 2nd Division leaders how long before the Central Park side are known as the Yellow Cowdenbeath? I am sure there are other instances our readers have noticed of teams wearing their away colours as much as their home colours in Scotland, personally I think it's a bad thing. The away kit should only be worn when there is an obvious colour clash. Call me a traditionalist or even an old fuddy duddy but I want Scottish League teams to wear their colours proudly not chop and change on a whim as if they were part of a Gok Wan fashion show! Aberdeen are red, the Pars are black and white stripes, Rangers are blue and white and Celtic are green and white etc etc. Get in touch with your real identity league teams of Scotland, I don't want to go to any more games where the away kit is worn as a marketing ploy and the colours on the field of play are not what we have grown to know and love.

Source: FOOTYMAD