Do you think this shirt backlash will result in an official statement ?….

The gold is an interesting bit.

They decided they would do that to make a unique 150 year kit - that was announced at the same time as the badge.

So that does have nothing to do with other Boro kits - it is intentionally unlike them.

I think a plain red shirt then makes sense.

The red shorts is a weird choice because white shorts would have cost no more... think that is just a design choice by a designer, who thinks all red with accents of gold is a more interesting look.
 
newyddion said:
I mean.. it’s not just my opinion.

The home kits are the wrong red. The sponsor is white because we’re too cheap to fork out on a gold vinyl print.

The away kits don’t have the polka dot patten on the collar.. like the kit with the polka dot collar. The shorts and socks look like a different colour to the shirt.

The 3rd kit has black detailing., but navy blue shorts and socks.

The 150th anniversary kit has different coloured shorts to the shirt.. they don’t match.

None of them look like Boro shirts and none of them use the simple details that would make a simple kit look good.

Bodge, Bodge, Bodge and Bodge.
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Newy

I agree the home shirt is a strange red (almost Spanish) in the photos and is not a typical Boro kit, maybe the sponsor made the decision on their own logo.

The reason for the polka dots on the away strip is historic and to many long term fans that historic tradition is important in an anniversary year. Many Boro fans had older now gone generations who followed the Boro before Ayresome Park. That makes us different to some other clubs whose fan bases shift with the sands. The top is already one of my favourite away tops and it will sell well.

The dots don't dominate the strip. I haven't seen the shorts and socks but how many adult fans buy the shirts and socks?

I remember the complaints in 1996/97 about the home and away kits - they are not Boro kits the fans said, where is the white band! the away kits why did they get rid of the blue and black strips! why are they so expensive (upgrade in material), why are they so plasticky - now many fans say the 1996/7 kits are their most favourite kits ever!
 
From someone who’s never worn one and probably never would I can fully understand why fans feel let down. Everyone looking forward to perhaps a nice retro kit and even different styles home and away and in typical Boro fashion (they’ll never let you down) they come out with what’s ostensibly……..a t-shirt. You can see the bean counters and designers have been all over this thinking what can we make that they’ll
wear even when it’s not a match day, make it unassuming and they might buy more than one.
 
Redwurzel said:
Newy

I agree the home shirt is a strange red (almost Spanish) in the photos and is not a typical Boro kit, maybe the sponsor made the decision on their own logo.

The reason for the polka dots on the away strip is historic and to many long term fans that historic tradition is important in an anniversary year. Many Boro fans had older now gone generations who followed the Boro before Ayresome Park. That makes us different to some other clubs whose fan bases shift with the sands. The top is already one of my favourite away tops and it will sell well.

The dots don't dominate the strip. I haven't seen the shorts and socks but how many adult fans buy the shirts and socks?

I remember the complaints in 1996/97 about the home and away kits - they are not Boro kits the fans said, where is the white band! the away kits why did they get rid of the blue and black strips! why are they so expensive (upgrade in material), why are they so plasticky - now many fans say the 1996/7 kits are their most favourite kits ever!
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Redwurzel
I understand why the polka dots feature on the panels of the preston shirt. I know which shirt it came from and I don’t think it does that shirt the justice it deserves. I very much understand historic tradition and the language that design can create and the story that it can tell. I understand our club’s identity and where design elements place in our history and what they mean.

Trying to tell me what makes us different from other clubs when we have anniversary year shirts nigh on identical to other clubs in our division (or lower) is a little bit misguided to say the least. I’m frustrated because I feel like we have been sold short and a fantastic opportunity has been wasted.

I remember the 20 years of complaints regarding the crest.. many of which could have been resolved with a simple tweak of how the crest was presented. Yes butt ugly shirts do sometime become cult favourites in years to come through nostalgia.. but many more shirt become iconic through strong design and they reverberate through the wider football community. The opportunity to be seen for what we are and what we can be has been lost.. we’ve made ourselves small and quiet. A longstanding punchline of cutting corners and cheap fixes.

There is a plethora of design language available to us that we have once again failed to communicate. Our identity of who we are, where we have come from and what we are capable of being. Instead it’s the vertical pier, the demolished dorman long tower.. the plastic ALDI supermarket where the Infirmary once stood.. we’re a car park in place of an art deco theatre or a gothic gem from 1864.

It doesn’t matter tho.

The home kit resembles a McDonalds giveaway shirt, it’s ketchup and mustard, it’s fast food. the dark red maroon from 1885 would have given the shirt an elegance and richness befitting of a 150 year old club with a genuine history, back from the dead in 86 and into a European cup final only 20 years later. The first instance of this configuration was in 1969.. the god was a bold move.. but it just doesn’t follow through. (Unless we’re talking shart) The away kit is a Preston kit.. nigh on identical bar a few tipped spots on the panels.. not even on the collar (which made the 1886 kit so unique) it also had navy shorts and socks btw. Maybe we are paying homage to the white clad EUFA final victors Seville in our 4-0 defeat? The theme continues with our yellow Oxford kit.. again a tip of the hat to European defeat.. losing 2–0 away to Villareal in the group stage on 2 December 2004.

Finally our 150th Anniversary kit the golden thread would have made this kit pop. This one is actually my favourite.. but the lack of care and attention to the others have taken the shine away from it. Consigned to a home game against Wolves at the Riverside and giving off a heavy whiff of Millwall and Rangers.

Anyway, I’m not even bothered. To quote a fine man “it is what it is”
 
boringblock_21 said:
I’m not sure I meant sinister. I’d say the motivation behind making the link to the 1903 kit is to hide the fact that there is no/very bad logic behind the decision to have an all red kit? Not necessarily sinister, rather a bad, bad effort at marketing.


I’d take issue with that, because if this is true then it’s an awful effort. The original top was plain red. This is red and gold, with a white sponsor. And why choose that shirt? Is there a survey that shows Middlesbrough fans identify with that shirt more than any other? It’s just a really terrible effort or a reverse engineered reason.

I’m really not trying to be a Debbie Downer or someone who just finds anything to complain about. That’s not what my mindset it. Because, for example, I was not convinced by the new badge, but I find it very hard to criticise because the club consulted fans (albeit that’s required by “football laws”) and came up with a thoughtful design. Unlike with these kits.
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Ok, yeah I agree the marketing has been poor.

I know what you mean but the gold is something we knew was happening regardless of design and seems to be a thing with anniversary gear. I could certainly live without it. And we have to have a sponsor. So take those away and you are left with a shirt that looks like the original.
But yes, it should have been promoted a lot better - I think someone suggested a video or something that showed the link which would have been good at least.

And based on the feedback here (which tbf isn't necessarily representative) it isn't what people wanted but I can understand why they went with the idea. But as I said, they definitely should have consulted on it.
 
With the blue '150' one not being on sale yet. The club should go back to Castore and ask them to try again with that one. Even if its a subtle change like being able to see the badge
 
The polka dots are a bloody marvellous piece of our history. The fact there’s a vintage Boro shirt, believed to be one of the oldest in Britain - possibly the world - that sold for £20,000 gives us a real leg up. That is gold dust from a design point of view.

But they’ve ruined it by pasting it onto a generic template used by Preston and Cardiff. That’s the bit that gets me. The history is brilliant. The execution doesn’t do it justice.

I’ve bought the home and away shirts because I want to get on board with it, but I’m genuinely disappointed. It’s how half-arsed and generic they’ve managed to make the whole anniversary range feel.

And that bloody blue kit as well. Again, there’s fabulous history there and a chance to do something brilliant, but the execution is just poor. Really disappointing.

I’ll probably buy that one too, mind, so I can put it in my chest of drawers and occasionally open it just to tut at it .
 
I just think if I use myself as an example of someone who hasn’t bought a shirt for years but was going to buy one this year if it was good and to commemorate the anniversary , but will absolutely not be buying one now .

How many people have the club missed out on like me , I imagine thousands , all for a bit more of an effort and a few quid more on disown print and style changes .

Massive opportunity lost and own goal
 
Johnnyweetabix said:
I just think if I use myself as an example of someone who hasn’t bought a shirt for years but was going to buy one this year if it was good and to commemorate the anniversary , but will absolutely not be buying one now .

How many people have the club missed out on like me , I imagine thousands , all for a bit more of an effort and a few quid more on disown print and style changes .

Massive opportunity lost and own goal
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How have the club missed out people. Its personal choice either buy them or don't. This is getting so boring now I wish we would sign someone so we can have something else to talk about.

I quite like them but it matters not to me as I haven't bought one for years.
 
Johnnyweetabix said:
I just think if I use myself as an example of someone who hasn’t bought a shirt for years but was going to buy one this year if it was good and to commemorate the anniversary , but will absolutely not be buying one now .

How many people have the club missed out on like me , I imagine thousands , all for a bit more of an effort and a few quid more on disown print and style changes .

Massive opportunity lost and own goal
Click to expand...
They successfully got me to buy one for the first time in years. Was keen anyway because I was conscious I didn't have a red shirt at Wembley.

I like the simplicity of the home one with the new badge front and centre and nothing else.

Having a no sponsor option was also huge for me.
 
Johnnyweetabix said:
I just think if I use myself as an example of someone who hasn’t bought a shirt for years but was going to buy one this year if it was good and to commemorate the anniversary , but will absolutely not be buying one now .

How many people have the club missed out on like me , I imagine thousands , all for a bit more of an effort and a few quid more on disown print and style changes .

Massive opportunity lost and own goal
Click to expand...
How about some who buys shirts every year for themselves and their family.. someone who takes time out of their day to go to every launch, consultation, game, meet up whatever there is.

Be bought up in the build up, listen to the promises made and the assurances given.. only to have that sack of shyt laid infront of my eyes and be told that is the result of a long thought out design process.

It just isn’t.. that is 100% a commercial decision. Cheapest possible. The end. If the design consultation took more than 5 minutes then every single penny spent after that was completely and utterly wasted.

RED one.. cheap as possible
White one? Yeah.
Erm.. Navy Blue.
Yellow what about that.
Preston have two of them.. so we can get them cheaper yeah. Put a polka dot think on or summat.. stick a lion in somewhere.
Right that’s done
Is that definitely the cheapest we can do it?
No.. no gold for the sponsor.
Right we’ll leave it with you.
So about 4 to 6 weeks you say?
Yeah that’ll be fine.
We’ll leave it in your capable hands.
 
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