Away strips

It’s been quite a couple of weeks for Newcastle United but then isn’t every couple of weeks these days, the matches keep coming thick and fast. An away win in the league at Burnley, home wins against Crystal Palace and a thriller against Leeds United have seen the club up to a more respectable 6th place, its highest this season. This was followed at the weekend by an energy sapping win (eventually) against Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

What is more, Newcastle have finally moved above Sunderland, who are having a great season since coming up from the Championship last year. I like to see all of our local clubs doing well and am delighted to see Sunderland back in the Premiership, even just to have the local derbies that are the real highlights of the season. As long as Newcastle are better placed then all is well.

Put that aside for a moment as I wanted to talk about away strips. I have never really understood why teams still have them other than to sell more. With colour television it is almost impossible to mix up most teams when on the pitch and it is only when clubs have near identical strips that an alternative would be required. Matches such as West Ham against Aston Villa being a case in point. 

It is the choice of colours that gets me. Newcastle’s green strip, a colour not normally related to the club, is an obvious nod to its Saudi owners. What got me thinking though was Sunderland’s choice of strip at Brentford on January 7th. The two teams play in red and white stripes and so a change of kit was necessary, yet Sunderland’s away strip was blue.

To me this was sacrilege. In footballing terms blue is the opposite of red. Think of Liverpool and Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, or perhaps even Arsenal and Chelsea. For a team that plays in red, to wear blue should be unthinkable. It is wearing your opposition colours. Sunderland might as well have played in black and white! 

No wonder they lost!