When Errea announced that Norwich City would be having a third kit, the general reply was ‘it’s just another one of the club’s shameless money-making schemes’. Errea’s home kit already caused a stir when on it’s unveiling it was revealed that the retro design had been ‘ruined’ by a large, unsubtle box surrounding the sponsors Aviva, which encroached on the green half of the shirt.
However, the away kit was very much welcomed in open arms by the Norwich faithful. Then again, it was almost like the home kit had been inverted – a green shirt, yellow shorts and some slick green shorts to match. A classy yellow pinstripe design was also printed on to its surface to offer an extra bit of character. Here, Errea had scored quite highly, with many saying it was the best away kit of recent years.
But then they announced a third kit.
Third kits never sit very well with me. I don’t see the point of them. They’re rarely going to be used and are generally just a less desirable option than the other two kits. If you’re going to fork out North of 45 quid for a football shirt, it’s unlikely you’re going to be buying more than one – at which point you’ll probably choose the home shirt.
I in fact saw a leaked version of the kit before it was announced. However, I didn’t realise it was the third kit. Rumours were that it was a rejected home kit design, to which I was thankful – relieved almost.
Then the official announcement came through and it dawned on me that it was, indeed, our third kit.
For me Mulumbu’s face says it all. He looks uncomfortable, unsure as to what he’s promoting – a stark contract to his gleeful smile in the promotion of the away kit.
What is the point of having a third kit that fails to veer away from the colours of both the home and away strips? It’s like a dodgy, McBusted-esque mash-up and the design itself isn’t on the safe side. Yellow, orange and green stripes make the shirt anything but subtle. Black shorts and socks are a nicer touch but they are almost forgotten by the loudness of the shirt. And, to make matters worse, the Aviva box cuts right through one of the stripes. It’s as if it’s deliberately put there to protrude, to irritate, and to further devalue an already unnecessary kit.
Still, in a world where football is dominated by template kits, it’s nice to have something different; something to make us stand out. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it’s perhaps for the wrong reasons.
Here are a few thoughts from Read Norwich team:
‘I’m numb at this point. Perhaps the more surprising thing is that people in the boardroom though “Right, looks good. Send it to the store.” Oh well. It’s crap – just like this summer has been in the transfer market. I guess the shirts will be purchased for irony. Print what you want Errea, but keep the Premier League sleeves.’ -Charlie Hatch, TCC editor
‘Atrocious, Ugly, an abomination. These words alone fail to describe the absolute awfulness of this kit. What makes it even worse, apart from the fact that it is the same colours as both home and away kits, is the fact that this kit’s honorary modern day marketing hashtag is #LoveOrHate. THEY MEAN’T IT TO BE THIS BAD. Whoever came up with this idea should be sacked, doesn’t help anyone associated with the club, including Errea and Aviva’. – Alex Murray, TCC writer
‘This kit is, to put it bluntly, awful. It looks like a rugby jersey, a mish mash of colours that doesn’t work and, of course, the infamous Aviva box. The head of errea quality control must be blind not to see how atrocious this monstrosity is’. – Jacob Sinkins, TCC writer
‘By far the worst kit for this season, once again the kit’s biggest disaster is Aviva’s Yellow box. The box itself isn’t even done properly and if it were extended into the yellow stripe directly beneath it, it wouldn’t look too bad. I think it’s a shame this kit doesnt follow the retro theme of the home and away shirts and presents a missed opportunity to remodel, fpr example, the fans favourite ‘Asics stripes’ which we could warm to. So overall it’s a shame, but at least we probably won’t wear it much’. -Callum Springer, TCC writer
