Barnsley FC has got everyone on social media talking about their home kit – but not for the reasons they would have hoped before its release.
In the spirit of ‘honouring the past’, the EFL League One club announced their collaboration with designer Colm Dillane from Kid Super and Director Julie Anne Quay to bring their Puma kits which proudly showcased their traditional red colours.
Barnsley said for their 2023/24 season kits, they drew inspiration from their rich history, chiefly from the “Shaw Carpets” kit from the 1989/1990 season. But the end result – seemingly an American theme instead of South Yorkshire – has proven to be an eye sore.
We all like nostalgia, great example being hummel with Southampton and Denmark recently, but Barnsley's reintroduction of their 89-90 shirt is horrific. Needed to stay in the past. pic.twitter.com/5RMLRFoCQW
The US Mobile’s eagle logo combined with six stars on the shoulders and chest with the base colour of red fading to white made the home kit look more like a USA flag than a Barnsley kit.
Fans can’t believe Barnsley’s decision to launch an ‘American’ kit
talkSPORT writer Tash Everitt noted that the kit looked like something out of a “country western film.”
While @ShirtLane drew a comparison with a “crappy Captain America MLS shirt” that now comes with a blue gradient.
You know that crappy Captain America MLS shirt. Well imagine this with a bit of blue gradient, an official Marvel logo and you've got yourself a winner
As for Barnsley. It's going to appear in every worst/best shirt book forever & will be a sought after shirt IMO. I'm a fan 👏 pic.twitter.com/XSRWKgqw2E
Design gone wrong: From South Yorkshire to McDonald’s League
Barnsley say the design process involved “consideration of every detail” in their attempts to pay tribute to their past while aiming to progress into the new era. But their efforts to combine the nostalgic days of 1989 with the flat modern colour combinations (instead of stripes) and US Mobile logo ended up making it look like a Rugby top rather than representing the core “values of authenticity, determination, resilience” that define the English club.
New Barnsley top is causing a bit of stir by the looks of it. I think it looks more like an amateur rugby 7’s jersey than a football one
Whether the kit will make their fans think of yesteryears or a jersey from ‘McDonald’s League’ remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, it’s going right at the top of the list of worst football shirts and is going to haunt Barnsley for a long time – a big ask for a club who lost the play-off final in the 123rd minute just a few weeks ago. The kit launch has somehow managed to overshadow that horrendous moment at Wembley.
Fans want Barnsley to be punished for their kit launch
In recent years EFL has imposed point deductions on several clubs for breaching financial rules. As far as we know Barnsley are doing fine on that front, but some fans believe their latest antic – releasing this kit – warrants a points deduction ahead of next season.
Talking about the next campaign, Barnsley are scheduled to face Port Vale on 5th August. Before that, they will get to wear the shirt in an uncompetitive outing on 22nd July against Blackburn Rovers.
This will be a good opportunity for the club to gauge reviews of fans in the stadium. But as far as social media fans are concerned, the Reds’ 23/24 home kit is a huge flop.
