Friday 1 December 2023 15:07, UK
Away from Cumbria it might have split opinion, from Wimbledon tennis commentators to Soccer Saturday pundits, but at Carlisle United the 2023/24 kit has broken new ground - albeit in a very retro way.
To celebrate their return to League One this season, the club decided to ditch the homogeny that can burden modern kit design, and launch a vintage home shirt and a striking 'fruit salad' away kit.
Partnering with KitLocker - a company with a proud history of producing shirts at grassroots level - and Umbro, demand quickly outstripped supply, and Carlisle's designs have sold more quickly than any other shirt in their history. Twice they have had to restock, with a race to get more in to the club shops before Christmas.
“We've never had a kit that’s sold like this before," Suzanne Kidd, the financial director at Carlisle tells Sky Sports. "We knew when we did the designs that it would be pretty special, but we didn’t know quite how much!
“We’ve sold out twice already and had another re-order delivered last week - so they’re flying out as we speak.
“We’re always blue with red and white at home, it’s sometimes difficult to find something different so when the guys came along with this print it was unlike anything we’ve had before - it was exciting. And the away shirt - which is now known as the ‘Fruit Salad’ - there’s no way we could turn that down!
“The fans love it - a lot of people who have never bought a kit have ended up buying them. They’ve really taken it to their hearts and are proud to be wearing it.”
You would be hard-pressed now to walk the streets of Carlisle without seeing someone wearing some new piece from the club shop.
And it undoubtedly helps that it has come at a time of pride in the shirt, with the club having won their first promotion in 17 years to reach League One last May.
“I was really drawn to the away shirt - I went out an bought one straight away," says Simon Clarkson, the club's Supporter Liaison Officers. "I’m of a generation that don’t tend to wear shirts, but there was just something enticing about it.
"It goes back to the Wimbledon tennis coverage where they spotted a couple of fans wearing them and people started talking about it.
“They’ve both been really popular. I’ve got the ‘fruit salad’ - my wife hates it but it’s great for a matchday!
“They’ve been sold out for weeks but they’re finally back in, and there’s been hundreds of pre-orders. There will be queues round the block! It’s perfect with Christmas around the corner. We’re on the cusp of new owners coming in and it just adds to the excitement.
“As fans we always felt a bit ripped off with the template style kits - there was never much change. Whoever was brave enough to push the boundaries has struck gold.”
Those people were Kitlocker - in partnership with Umbro - and they are hopeful other clubs will sit up and take notice.
“I hope this is the end of the template kit style - clubs need different designs to keep fans engaged," says Mike Atkin of Kitlocker. "There was a tendency for kits to work their way down the divisions - EFL teams would follow templates that were created for Premier League clubs.
“I think now, however, more and more brands are offering that flexibility of design, they’ve realised it’s where clubs need to go and responded to what fans are asking for.
“It’s been fantastic from our point of view. Bringing it to life from scratch is something new for us and it’s been great to show something different."
