Strip Search - Kit Gallery 22/23

[Ray de Galles]

The change kit is "Inspired by the palm trees on Bournemouth’s iconic seafront..."

https://twitter.com/afcbournemouth/status/1551961798886232068?s=21&t=nx3baDfwULSiJln5AqJYYQ

[Ray de Galles]

Bournemouth, bloody hell!



Quite like it though.

[Ray de Galles]

One for the Dons on here- AFC Wimbledon have never gone for the navy blue that wfc wore from 1993 onwards- is that felt to be an era not to be harked back to despite some good years on the field, or is it just an aesthetic choice? Always thought it looked smart myself.

They made an explicit (if poorly worded) nod to that kit being an inspiration for the new one :

https://twitter.com/afcwimbledon/status/1551931915455840256?s=21&t=-v18hfWEL12AraZLvMyxRg

[DCI Harry Batt]

I reckon we'd wear our new away kit away at Palace in the cup, tbh.

[Nesta]

Gonna need a fourth kit if you get palace away in a cup. I mean, i'm sure you can wear one of our change kits, can't see the dons faithful having any issue with that

[Ray de Galles]

That's a shame. I think sponsors of departing players get first dibs on new ones.

Yes, that's the norm and how it's been presented to me which is absolutely fair enough.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Been trying to sponsor his kit, specifically if there was going to be a red change/third, since the day he signed but to no avail as apparently previous sponsors have snapped him up.

That's a shame. I think sponsors of departing players get first dibs on new ones.

[DCI Harry Batt]

You know why it's a problem, a club's colours are an intrinsic part of their identity, culture and heritage.

If you voluntarily decide not to wear them as default for around 50% of your games it weakens those factors. Wimbledon wearing two tone green against a team in red simply don't look like Wimbledon.

This new kit seems to acknowledge that but it's a reaction to an issue completely of the club's own making. A decision you have stated in the past, or at least implied, that you took partly to wind people up.

Sorry. There's a bit of me that can't help being mischievous. Or doesn't want to, maybe.

I get that it can be a sore point for sure, for very good reasons. But I think we are very comfortable in our identity. We've had all kinds of coloured shirts over the years. And we've used lots of not-blue a lot. And we're good. No-one thinks we aren't us. No-one thinks we aren't blue and yellow. Although in fact we switched to blue and yellow within my lifetime.

Personally, I've always called them "home" and "away", and that works nicely in my head. But that's by the by. We'd not have managed in 2002 without using them as home and away as we did. As far as I have ever been able to tell (without doing any in-depth investigation), there are a few people who mind and lots more who don't.

Today's new blue shirt does seem to have made some twitter fans of other clubs cross. I'll not pretend that makes me sad. I'd not seen the shirt until today, though.

[ursus arctos]

Man, you are living in the Chaotic Evil box these days

[caja-dglh]

I'm not sure that adopting the NBA's "Statement", "Association", "Icon" and "Classic" would really help matters.

Ray would love some blue and gold camo Dons gear.

[Ray de Galles]

Chris Gunter in that, isn't it?

Been trying to sponsor his kit, specifically if there was going to be a red change/third, since the day he signed but to no avail as apparently previous sponsors have snapped him up.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Adopting Wales Euro 2016 qualifiers kit for the third is clearly an attempt to placate me ;

Chris Gunter in that, isn't it?

[ursus arctos]

I'm not sure that adopting the NBA's "Statement", "Association", "Icon" and "Classic" would really help matters.

[caja-dglh]

I actually agree with you as to "change" kits, but also come from a tradition of "away" kits that leads to the opposite conclusion.

I also couldn't resist the bait. Soz.

This would all be a lot easier if there was an established rule like in US Sports.

[Ray de Galles]

Adopting Wales Euro 2016 qualifiers kit for the third is clearly an attempt to placate me ;

https://twitter.com/afcwimbledon/status/1551968092581990402?s=21&t=r7mBN3JHDtmFJXed2ZQ3ew

[ursus arctos]

I actually agree with you as to "change" kits, but also come from a tradition of "away" kits that leads to the opposite conclusion.

I also couldn't resist the bait. Soz.

[Ray de Galles]

Because it violates Ray's fiercely held personal beliefs as to what is right and proper.

Surely you can relate.

You think wearing change kits as a default for away games is fine?

I mean, it's not as if I'm a lone voice on this, though I'll concede I'm a strident one. Most supporters seem to want a club to turn out in it's recognisable colours whenever possible and are against superfluous changes of kit.

[Ray de Galles]

Just out of interest, why is it a problem?

You know why it's a problem, a club's colours are an intrinsic part of their identity, culture and heritage.

If you voluntarily decide not to wear them as default for around 50% of your games it weakens those factors. Wimbledon wearing two tone green against a team in red simply don't look like Wimbledon.

This new kit seems to acknowledge that but it's a reaction to an issue completely of the club's own making. A decision you have stated in the past, or at least implied, that you took partly to wind people up.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Oh sure, I just wondered if there was something else, or something underpinning it.

[ursus arctos]

Because it violates Ray's fiercely held personal beliefs as to what is right and proper.

Surely you can relate.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Just out of interest, why is it a problem?

[Ray de Galles]

Since the regeneration, Wimbledon have worn their change kit for away games as default regardless of if there's a clash. That's the problem.

This new change kit seems to be a way of doing so while still being recognisably Wimbledon. It would have seemed more sensible just to wear the first kit away from home unless there was a clash.

It almost seems to be being implied that his is some kind of rebellious move, as if the needless switch to change kits was being forced on the club when in fact it's their choice and they've long been one of the worst offenders.

[DCI Harry Batt]

We've largely worn our home kit at home and our away kit away for the last 20 years, haven't we? That's certainly what we did in the first few years at Kingsmeadow.

[Ray de Galles]

I mean, it will have the effect of having the team play in what are pretty much first kit colours even when they (as annoyingly has become the habit) switch to a change kit when there isn't any clash with the home side...so that's good to an extent.

Obviously there will now be a contrasting third kit in the event of a clash.

But it would be easier to just not automatically wear the change kit for away games.

It all seems very silly though...and seemingly not very Wimbledon.

[ursus arctos]

Does Merton celebrate April Fool's in July?