tribal-colours.co.uk

Welcome to the TRIBAL COLOURS football kit history website.

I don’t know about you, but I vividly remember the first time i actively took an interest in football. I was about 7 years old at the time, and was watching Scotland play in the World Cup in Argentina. I recall due to the time difference, sitting in a pitch black living room, watching players running about on the pitch on a small 16 inch TV, taking in every detail and fact that the commentator was continually spouting out. fascinated, intrigued and baffled all at once as these players ran up and down a field kicking a wee white ball and trying to stick it in a net. By most vivid memory as I recall, was being fascinated by the crowd, and how fanatical they were, especially in Argentina, where all matter of every day items could be used to show your support for the team of your choice. Ticker tape, toilet roll, flags, banners, scarves, air horns, flares, and of course every fans must have item, a shirt. Similar in design and colour to the one worn by your hero(s) on the field of play, it was a neccesity for any hard core fan to have a shirt. Shorts and socks were non consequential, nobody paid any attention to them, it was the colour and design of your shirt that mattered. It showed where your allegiance lay, it told other fans of the game exactly what they needed to know about you, not where you were from, or if you indeed were even from that particular town, city or country, that simple piece of clothing was enough to make you a mountain of friends or a mountain of enemies depending on which part of the stadium you were standing. It told them all they needed to know, which area of the stadium you would be standing in, and who you would be cheering along.
Times change, innocence of youth is replaced by the cold hard light of reality, but every time there is a football match on TV or i goto watch my local team, my mind is cast back to that moment in time when football was forever etched into my memory. I find myself now being interested more in the history of the game, players from times gone by, how clubs have changed throughout the years, who won what, who played for who, and then football colours and design.
As stated previously, a football shirt is not just a piece of clothing, its a symbol, not unlike a warrior painting himself to show other warriors which tribe he belongs to and where his loyalties lie. The demand for football jerseys has been growing the last few years since the international tournaments and competitions started becoming more popular, attended by numerous fans from every corner of the world. The football shirt culture became a predominant issue in the market, since the manufacturers of athletic apparel and uniforms recognized the high demand for football shirts. The different companies have started bringing out new jerseys, as all the football fans like wearing the shirt of their favorite team, and more specifically the shirt of their favorite player.

Football has regained its reputation and its place in people’s hearts; it comes as no surprise, thus, that people who have become more attracted and attached to this sport want to own things associated with the culture of football. Shirts are an indispensable part of this culture, because they are the closest thing to the team and because each jersey has a sentimental value for the person who owns it and wears it.

Men and women now, are obsessed with football and they watch the matches on TV enjoying them to the full, screaming, supporting, protesting, having fun with friends. Football is not just a sport or a game; it is a social event that arouses many sentiments and memories.

When the football tournament is on, 90% of the male population around the world will be spending an enormous amount of time in front of the TV (or in the pub), watching the matches. A great majority will be grunting about the fate of their fantasy team and league as well. This is the seasonal nightmare for women who are not obsessed with football and they cannot sympathize with their husbands, sons or fathers. However, today, more and more women have been trying to accompany their men when watching football, understanding that it is a culture, a mentality.

If you have grown up in a female dominating house, with just one male person around, you are used to making the only man of the family miserable during matches. But if you are married to a guy who put particular emphasis on football you have to deal with the entire package that comes with every match; men with beers rooting for this or the other team, screaming at the referee, protesting against their coach, being coaches from the couches, wearing the jerseys and getting caught up in enthusiasm of the game.

Passion and devotion are the two main characteristics of the football culture; this devotion is usually expressed through many different ways. Men buy the jersey of their team and keep it as something very valuable and unique. They spend money on their jerseys because they represent their love and dedication to a football team; maybe you don’t understand why, but you have to keep in mind that most men grow up supporting a particular team. They offer their heart to a football team when they are kids, and they remain loyal to it till they are gone. It is probably the steadiest relationship they have; football is a culture and the football jersey culture is part of it.

That said, how many of you are aware of the changes no matter how small your club has made to its jersey throughout the years? This site is designed to show you the history of your clubs jerseys from the early 80′s right up to date. We could go back further, but to be honest the 80′s was the time when sponsorship arrived and manufacturers logos were regularly appearing on the shirts. Shirts were interesting, not as plain as they had been during the 70′s, although i am sure some would beg to differ on that. Hoepfully the site will indulge the passion we all share, football, and to others it will indulge the notion that colour and design of a club jersey are just as important as supporting the club on the terrace or at home on TV.

Enjoy the site