Football fans often look forward to pre-season tours as they get to finally watch their favourite players in action after the off-season break. But alongside the return of competitive action, this is also a busy time for kit makers with Europe’s clubs announcing their jersey range for the upcoming season.
Over the past few decades, the norm in Europe has been that clubs would often sport their traditional colours (those associated with a club since its inception) for the home kit while the away kit could feature more creative designs.
This combination also aids clubs in avoiding a clash of colours in case two teams shared similar home kit shades.
But it looks like AFC Wimbledon have been able to steer away from this unofficial tradition after the club announced their away kit for the upcoming campaign.
Just weeks after the League Two side revealed their blue home kit, the club and their kit designer Hummel announced the release of the away shirt which is also ironically blue in colour.
Wimbledon have revealed their new 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 away shirt, which will come in handy when they can't wear their 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 home shirt… pic.twitter.com/5PLTJPpBvq
Since the club was formed by defected supporters of Wimbledon F.C (now known as MK Dons) back in 2002, the Dons have predominantly sported a blue shirt with yellow detailing as its primary home kit design. The reverse featuring a yellow shirt with blue detailing has been the away kit design.
Wimbledon’s home kit for the upcoming season features the classic combination of blue and yellow. But the bizarre repetition of the blue shirt and yellow shoulder stripes for the away kit has truly dumfounded supporters.
With numerous fans of the club voicing out their disappointment on Twitter, Hummel’s admin personally took to Twitter to offer a possible explanation behind this strange decision.
Speaking in my capacity as admin here, the darker blue is a direct reference to the 90s which was (you don't need me to tell you this) an iconic era for the club. The shades of blue are actually more different than they appear too, they could easily be played against each other!
As the designer has revealed, the club’s predecessor, Wimbledon F.C did sport the darker shades of blue and yellow during the 90s which was the last time either Wimbledon team played in the first division in England.
Furthermore, while at first glance both the kits look identical, a closer inspection does confirm that the away kit differs in the shade of blue and yellow used. This kit features a darker shade of both blue and yellow (almost golden) as opposed to the brighter shades for the home kit.
I’m amazed this isn’t obvious. And even if it wasn’t here’s the two together – could totally play one side in each. pic.twitter.com/MhDxZq6tTi
Funnily enough, this is also not the first time that an English side have repeated kit colours for the home and away strips as Portsmouth sported a blue kit twice during the 2003-04 Premier League campaign.
Wimbledon have a blue home shirt and a blue away shirt is a reminder of what Portsmouth did nearly 20 years ago. pic.twitter.com/pQnOReWi3n
While the kit designer has instilled some clarity into why there has been a repetition of sorts, fans of the Dons still remain unconvinced. A few supporters have also alleged that this is simply another way for clubs to swindle supporters and make them purchase unimaginative designs.
As League Two commences this coming weekend, it remains to be seen if supporters embrace AFC Wimbledon’s spirited and bold kit policy or not. But the club’s unconventional move has certainly guaranteed them to be the talk of the town as football returns to Plough Lane.
