BLOG | Heart On Our Sleeve

Over the past decades football has changed for better or worse, sports science, television deals and boots any colour other than black…

But breaking news this week could see kits in England change beyond recognition of the days of the likes of George Best, Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves.

We could be about to see a massive shift in the way football shirts in the Premier League are crafted, following talks opening to discuss allowing sleeve sponsors - which could earn up to an extra £10,000,000 for each side involved.

England paved the way for great football; after all it’s where the game was founded. But over the years it’s somewhat slipped behind other major European and even South American sides in terms of producing not only the best talent and style, but in terms of bringing forward the game.

Although a small sleeve sponsor may seem small at first, across the Atlantic in the Americas’ kits have been revolutionised and in comparison Kingdom certainly look, well, foreign.

But this hasn’t just been going on for a couple of seasons now, we’re talking decades. Corinthianto the United s for example – the giants of Brazil – they certainly paved the way as far as twenty-years ago. In the 1997 season their strip had both sleeve and back of the shirt sponsors in large print. The club sponsors at the time ‘Excel  Economico’ covered a huge chunk of the shirt but wouldn’t inspire Time do Povo to the Serie A title.  

Hop over to Ecuador and things were much the same just five years later, with SD Quito adopting the same style in order to raise money through the luxurious deals struck. Their Puma designed blue and red style saw motoring giants Hyundai on the right hand side which fitted well with what really was a great strip and advanced for its time. 

Flash forward another two years and head north to Mexico, Santos Laguna took it one further. Their 2004/2005 shirt (pictured) cnsisted of sponsors on almost every inch of fabric. From Coca-Cola on the left side of the chest to Peoles on the right. That’s without even mentioning the club website across the bottom trim. Laguna’s shirt almost resembles that of a Rugby League kit, but makes intriguing viewing.

The news this week isn’t surprising, with money ready to be spent among the top clubs at any opportunity. Many clubs in England have already got back of the shirt sponsors from the top flight all the way down to non-league football.                                                                        

Only time will tell before we see the knock-ons from the initial effect it may have. But with more exposure to brands, it’s certainly distancing its way away from ‘Vintage England’ but as South America’s clever concoctions has proved, maybe the UK just needs a touch of samba.