New Kit unveiled.

[KevinGage]

Whilst I'm maybe not as heartbroken as Saunders Heroes and KRS,  it would be naive not to see our migration to a kit supplier more synonymous with mid ranking and lower division sides as a downgrade. 

Until the full details are released, I'll hold fire on the condemnation however.  I have to be honest and say after a quick look over some of the examples on their website, I'm not blown away.  But if the numbers stack up (ie if they've offered us a deal similar to the Genting one)  that might sway me. 

[DeKuip]

Macron? So long as the designer who came up with the current black Leeds away kit doesn't get to work on ours!

Another thing. But does anyone else think grown (and overgrown) adults walking around the streets in replica shirts with footballers names on their back look pretty stupid? I can understand doing it up until say puberty, but when you're older... oh dear.

Walked behind two blokes after the first game of the season who had "N'Zogbia" on their backs. I thought, all N'Zogbia has done so far is agree to change jobs and add to his personal wealth considerably by doing so – and you're worshipping him like this?

No wonder there are so many marketing graduates working in football nowadays... with its readymade customer base of gullable idiots.

[KRS]

Football shirts tend to make comfortable leisure wear around the home or when playing sport...and obviously match days. Its the simplest and most convenient way of showing support for your club...or should I say "display". 

I've never been one for players names on the back of shirts or been keen on being a walking advertisement for our shirt sponsors, but there is a massive market for football team shirts and the club should be doing everything in its power to make the most of that. If the Macron deal is more financially lucrative than Nike (or anyone else) then we have to trust them, however I dont see sales volume being as high as it would with one of the more well known brands particularly in the youth/teenage market where I imagine most of shirt sales are generated.

[VillaSpen]

I seem to make this point every season and I'm sure many others agree but I'd love to be able to have the option of buying the replica top with or without the main sponsor. Not for any reason other than I think shirts look much better without a sponsor. I know we were able to get them sponsor-free this year but that was serendipitous rather than deliberate, if I remember correctly.

[bertlambshank]

We should of asked Fred Perry.
How fucking cool would that be?

[Percy McCarthy]

Fred Perry (or Selfridges) seem aware of us already. Last time I bought one, in Selfridges, all colours of their polo shirts were 45 quid, except claret and blue, which were 60.

Would be ace though.

[Dave Cooper please]

Oh my god we are gonna have a shirt made by Macron, lets burn down Villa Park.
Seriously, how can people be moaning about this when they haven't see the shit yet ?

You're as bad as KRS!

[Rico]

My God! Who cares about the manufacturer? Nike have been absolutely awful. Lazy kit designs and late delivery. So surely if the kit is of good quality and produced on time for next summer then it's an improvement on Nike. And aren't the Italians renowned for their fashion sense anyway? So I think we could be the most fashionable team in the country next year. I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[gervilla]

Oh my god we are gonna have a shirt made by Macron, lets burn down Villa Park.
Seriously, how can people be moaning about this when they haven't see the shit yet ?

You're as bad as KRS!

Doh !
Amended.

[Ad@m]

its about business and money, and I'm merely pointing out that sales could be badly affected. Personally, I havent purchased a Nike kit for years and I doubt that will change with Macron, however I expect that sales will decrease as a direct consequence.

It's been mentioned already but you seem to have either missed or ignored it so I'll repeat it.

How good for sales has been the fact that Nike have repeatedly been late in getting our kits ready for sale over the past few years?  The key brand in the Aston Villa replica shirt is 'Aston Villa' - not Nike, or Macron, or whoever.  The shirts will sell regardless or the manufacturer.

And although some people might not buy the shirt if its made by Macron, at least they'll have the option to buy it.  When Nike didn't have our shirt ready until November it didn't matter whether you were a sportswear snob or not, you simply couldn't buy it.

And that's got to be worse for sales.

[WarleyWonder]

There does seem to be a surfeit of people taken in by the advertising.  Lets face it at the end of the day it's claret with blue sleeves and needs no design work really since Umbro completed the job in 1974. It's a licence to print money and it's a desirable item because it has the Aston Villa F.C. badge on it not the fucking nike scrawl or the adidas pile of used bricks or the puma pussy

Its not about advertising; its about having a strong sports brand providing kit and merchandise. If an identical kit was produced by both Macron and adidas, I can guarantee that more adidas shirts would be sold. I'm already preparing for fans of other clubs taking the piss out of the Macron shirts..."Macron, who are they?!"...I can almost hear it now.

Yes it is just a shirt worn by the players at the end of the day, but if we had an adidas kit and merchandise, I can honestly say that I would have probably spent a few hundred quid on shirt, training tops and leisure wear; I wont be spending a penny on anything with a Macron label. I suspect the same will apply to thousands of other Villa fans resulting in a massive drop in a guaranteed revenue stream.

Then they're idiots as well.

So I'm an idiot for not wanting to purchase a kit or merchandise made by Macron. I may well remember that next time I'm about to purchase my copy of H&V.

You're an idiot if all you're bothered about is logos and brand names. If the quality and design is alright what difference does the manufacturer's name make?

That's a bit strong isnt it calling a fellow fan an idiot just because he makes a valid point regarding the kit manufacturer. Ok whoever makes the kit isnt the be all of the situation but I thought this forum was for banter and for fans to give their opinion? Am I wrong?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Should I be offended at that? I really don't know.

Absolutely not. It was just missing a winky thang.

[Ian.]

The best way to improve shirt sales is to start being quite good again or even better would be being bloody great again.

[PeterWithe]

We've had Hummel and Oasics for instance (and the really obscure one whose name I cannot recall in the eighties). People bought those shirts, nobody laughed and the team played no worse for the shirt on their backs.

Henson and that was the worst Villa team I've ever seen clad in the worst shirt we've ever had.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

How good for sales has been the fact that Nike have repeatedly been late in getting our kits ready for sale over the past few years?  The key brand in the Aston Villa replica shirt is 'Aston Villa' - not Nike, or Macron, or whoever.  The shirts will sell regardless or the manufacturer.

And although some people might not buy the shirt if its made by Macron, at least they'll have the option to buy it.  When Nike didn't have our shirt ready until November it didn't matter whether you were a sportswear snob or not, you simply couldn't buy it.

And that's got to be worse for sales.

Exactly, I'd rather be a priority client of a smaller shirt brand than an ignored client of a bigger shirt brand.