New Kit/Sponsor

[Pete3206]

Although I consider modern Villa kits to be mostly ghastly, it's my view and I'm clearly in the minority.

However, people of my ilk are well catered for with retro shirts which have been available at the club now for yonks. I can't really see a goldmine in replicating a 50's or 70's kit for today's Villa squad, or fans who like to buy the new stuff.

[eamonn]

It would be great if it is actually claret and blue not the nasty purpley colour we so often end up with.

Yep. Last season my wife's friend and her American boyfriend visited us during a televised Villa away game. The American fella knew nothing about our football and hadn't seen a Villa kit before in his life. He said to me; " So you're supporting the team in the purple, right?" 

In fairness, even wearing the proper shade of claret, what non-football fan would use that word to describe our colours?

[adrenachrome]

Burgundy. 1959 Nuits St. Georges.

[myf]

My inlaws took my eldest to the club shop a fortnight ago as a birthday treat. Came away with nothing as they had no gear available. The whole place seems to becoming a bit of a joke

[Malandro]

My inlaws took my eldest to the club shop a fortnight ago as a birthday treat. Came away with nothing as they had no gear available. The whole place seems to becoming a bit of a joke

Would he have bought old merchandise?

[Des Little]

Given the importance placed on revenue from shirt sales these days, and the fact that we aren't changing manufacturer, we really should be getting new stuff out and on sale quicker than we do.

[Pat McMahon]

A few things here:

1. All teams suffer from time to time with "poor kits" - a poor kit in my book is either one that is either diabolical or one which clearly detracts from their history and tradition.  But very few annoy their supporters so regularly.  The only clubs where I could see supporters pulling up tree trunks more than us, are Cardiff when their had the red kit, Crystal Palace who really do not know what colour they should be playing in and Manchester City.

Man City at least at the foresight to revise their badge to one that reflects their history. 

2. Younger fans may not know Brian Little the footballer or manager but they are well versed  in the traditions and history.  We even miss a trick  with the 57 cup final shirt, - imagine the sales if Villa  marketed  that perhaps as a cup  shirt, sales would go  out the roof.  Arsenal and Man Ure have done the same in the past with reasonable success.

3. As for the badge -  okay for only for a relatively short period did we have the round  badge, but is is  commonly thought of  as a badge of success, only got to look at match day banners and how many of them incorporate the round badge.

4. The club as a minimum should only agree to a traditional claret and blue kit (with the possible exception as mentioned  above of the   57 kit. 

Apart from West ham and their London badge, both them and Burnley as well as Hearts don't appear to have problems in producing  a Claret and where applicable claret/blue version or a plum/purple one.

WW, I disagree re West Ham. They have had a succession of abysmal kits over the years. Burnley however seem to get the colours right every year.

[myf]

My inlaws took my eldest to the club shop a fortnight ago as a birthday treat. Came away with nothing as they had no gear available. The whole place seems to becoming a bit of a joke

Would he have bought old merchandise?

Yes. He wanted some training gear. They had none for his age

[TopDeck113]

Burnley however seem to get the colours right every year.

As a Blackburn-supporting friend of mine would be quick to tell you, when they were founded members of the Football League, Burnley played in blue and white. They didn't play in claret and blue until after the First World War.

[wittonwarrior]

My inlaws took my eldest to the club shop a fortnight ago as a birthday treat. Came away with nothing as they had no gear available. The whole place seems to becoming a bit of a joke

Would he have bought old merchandise?

Yes. He wanted some training gear. They had none for his age

The  issue with the shop and merchandise sticks out like a sore thumb.  We sold the mechanising rights and the company who have taken over show no more imagination as the club themselves  showed when running and losing  right, left and  centre money.  Suppose  we have to give them time to evaluate and get things right, but from what I have seen no improvement on the shop floor.

[Hairbandinho]

Some people are seriously stuck in the 70s/80s.

It's 2017. Tastes and designs change. Deal with it.

Just get the colour as claret and not purple. After that everything else doesn't matter.

[Rico]

I don't think I'm stuck in the 70s/80s, but I'm eternally grateful to have been around then. The best team we've ever had, the best kits, the best badge, the best floodlights and the largest bank of terracing in England. What's wrong with wanting to try to emulate some of those things. But you're right, this is 2017 and they can't even get the feckin colours right.
#wedon'tplayinpurple

[VillaBoy_23]

Some people are seriously stuck in the 70s/80s.

It's 2017. Tastes and designs change. Deal with it.

Amen. We had pretty much identicle replicas of the European Cup winning home and away shirts under Macron and have had countless excellent kits since the 80s.

To say Blues and Albion have had better kits than us since then is absurd.

I thought last seasons home was one of the nicest shirts we've had in ages, with a proper button up collar and look forward to seeing the new ones in the flesh.

[ktvillan]

i'm not too fussed about the design as long as it's claret and blue.  I wouldn't touch the last two or three efforts with a barge pole, let alone pay 50 odd quid for them, simply because they appear to be purple and lilac.  I do wonder why any Villa fan would want to buy them, but each to their own.

[KRS]

I do wonder who's decision it is or was to change or approve what is clearly a much different shade of claret and blue, and for what reason.